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Y 


// 


A 


'•<°   «Px 


/. 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


jfrlM  lllM 


1^  IM 


1.8 


U    III  1.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


\ 


# 


•SJ 


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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(/16)  872-4503 


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o^ 


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?,T  "f//liS. 


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3 


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16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


(aire 
s  details 
ques  du 
It  modifier 
[iger  une 
a  filmage 


1/ 
u6es 


W 


lire 


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empreinte. 

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dernidre  Image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
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illustrent  la  m6thode. 


I      I 


by  errata 
led  to 

jnt 

ine  pelure, 

agon  d 


1 


32X 


JESUIT    MISSIONS 


^^XmIOX^O 


THE  CAYUGAS, 


Fnojyc 


1656  TO   1684. 


\ 


,1ESU1T    MISSIONS 


A.VKiNi; 


T  H  E     (;  A  Y  IF  G  A  !S , 


FROM   U)5G  TO  1084. 


BY    REV.    CHARLES    11  A  W  E  E  Y  ,  1) .  D  . 

Presidciu  of  llic  Ciiyuna  Cmiiily  Historical  Soi  iciy. 


tn 


AUBURN,  N.  Y. 


1870. 


\^^ 


A3H3 


C  TlIK  following  articles  were  written  for  the  Auhiun  Daily  Adverlufi,  in 
which  paper  they  recently  appeare.l. )  In  K'viMK  then,  this  permanent  form,  it 
has  been  ileemed   l)est  not  to  change  their  serial   character,  and  they  are  re- 
prinle.1  as  originally  pul)lisheil.    O'^eir   value  consists   mainly  in   transcripts 
from  the  Kelations  Des  Jisuites  of  the  earliest  written  record  of  events  with- 
in the  present  limits  of  Cayuga  County.)ind  made  by  the  (irst  white  men  who 
trml  its  soil.     1  he  several  translations  have  been  carefully  made  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  with  the  desire   to  place  within  reach  of  ;he  general   reader  t.-se 
treasures  of  our  local  history,  until  now,  for  t!;e  most   part,  locked  up  in  the 
original  French,  and  in  volumes  rarely  to  be  found  in  private  hi.nds.     In  this 
part  of  the  work  the  writer  would  acknowledge  with  pleasure  the  assistance 
of  Mr.  Theotlore  P.  Case,  on  whose  more  iiu.mate  knowledge  of  the  French 
languag-.  he  has  relied  for  accuracy  in  the  rendering,  whil ;  alone  respcmsible 
for  the  English  dress  in  which  the  trr.nslation  appears.     For  that  of  Charle- 
voix's admirable  and  touching  tribute  to  the  character  of  Father  de  Carheii. 
he  is  indebted  to  Mr.  John  II.  Osborne,  who  beside  the  works  of  t.^e  historian 
of  New  France,  his  enriched  his  collection  with  other  valuable  an.!  rare  vol- 
umes illustrative  of  the  early  histor-  of  the  country,  and  which  have  been  of 
service  in  the  preparation  of  these  )apers. 

Auburn,  July  27,  1876.  ^       ' 


^'3 


JcHuil  >ii>^>^ion^'A^ii|oiitJt  the  ljayu^^a>^. 


Daily  Advirlisei;  in 
i  pcrnianciit  form,  it 
or.  ami  they  are  re- 
lainly  in   transcripts 
cord  of  events  wilh- 
(irst  white  men  who 
y  made  for  the  pvir- 
jeneral   reader  ti.jse 
irt,  locked  up  .n  the 
vate  hiinds.     In  this 
easure  the  assistance 
■ledge  of  the  French 
il ;  alone  responsilde 
For  thai  of  Charle- 
)f  Father  de  Carheil, 
irorks  of  tiie  historian 
iluable  an.l  rare  vol- 
1  which  have  been  of 

C,   II. 


NO.  I. 

It  is  now  two  luindrc'd  and  twenty  years  ago,  that  tlic  Jcsiiil 
Kathers  made  tlieir  first  atteini*t  to  establisli  a  mission  amon^^ 
the  Cayugas,  one  of  the  five  nations  tlien  comiJtising  the  pow- 
erful Irotiuois  League.  In  November  of  the  previous  ytar 
(1655),  they  had  founded  a  mission  under  favorable  ausi)iccs 
at  Onondaga,  which  became  the  centre  of  their  hibors,  as  it  was 
also  the  recognized  capital  of  the  confederacy.  A  chapel  was 
built,  schools  were  opened,  and  preparations  made  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  French  colony,  and  the  building  of  a  fort  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  mission,  at  the  request  of  the  Onondagas,  (or 
their  protection  against  the  Eries. 

The  following  account  of  the  beginnings  of  the  Cayuga  mis- 
sion is  taken  from  ''Relations  Des  Jesuites"  translated  from  tin- 
original  French.  It  is  Chapter  XVI  of  the  Relations  for  1657, 
and  will  be  followed  by  other  documents  from  the  same  soun  c, 
covering  the  entire  history  of  the  mission  : 

CONCERNING    THE     I'UHLICATION     OK     THE     FAITH     AMONtl     THK 
CAYUGA  IROQUOIS. 

Having  adopted,  immediately  on  our  arrival  in  this  country, 
the  Onondagas  as  brothers,  and  the  Cayugas  and  Oneidas  as 
children,  it  became  necessary,  for  the  preservation  of  this  alli- 
ance, to  visit  them  in  order  to  make  them  presents,  which  we 
shall  be  obliged  to  do  each  year,  to  render  our  relationship 
with  them  serviceable   and  desirable.     This  was    to  us    a  very 


aurceablc  necessity,  as  it  opened  the  way  for  the  i.ro.lamation 
of  thedospel  in  conferring  our  presents,  after  the  manner  in 
which  we  had  liappily  commenced  our  labors. 

It  was  witli  this  design  that  Fathers  Chaumonot  anil  Menard 
left  (Onondaga)  at  tiie  end  of  the  month  of  August  in  the  vear 
1656  for  Cayuga,  where  they  arrived  after  a  journey  of  two  days; 
and  that  Father  Clhaumonot  having  made  a  brief  sojourn  there, 
proceeded  to  the  country  of  the  Senecas,  leaving  Father  Me- 
nard to  the  labors  of  founding  the  church  about  to  be  formed. 
'I'his  is  what  he  has  sent  to  us  ; 

The  antipathy  toward  the  faith  and    our  persons,  which   the 
Ilurons  had  creatird  among  the  natives  of  the  country,  persiuid- 
ing  them  that  we  brought  with   us   sickness   and  misfortune  to 
the  i)lace;i  we  visited,  caused    us  to   be  received   <iuite  coolly, 
and  rend,  r-d   our  presents,  made    for   the  sake  of  the    faith, 
worthless  in    their  esteem.     Nevertheless,  the    i)rii)cipal    men, 
who  out  of  regard  for  their  temporal  interests,  would  not  break 
with  us,  and  trusting  that  the  attempt  on  behalf  of  the    Faith 
would  not  endanger  the  lives  of  their  slaves,  set   them  at  wi.  k, 
four  days  after  our  arrival,  to  build  for  us   a  chapel,  on   which 
they  employed  themselves  so  diligently,  that  in  two  days  it  was 
in  a  condition  to  receive  the  Christians.     After  it  had  been  fur- 
nished and  adorned  with  the  most  beautiful  mats,  I    there  ex- 
posed the  Image  of  our  Lord,  and  that  of  our  Lady;  this   was 
a  spectacle  the  novelty  of  which  so  greatly  surprised  our  barba- 
rians t*hat  they  came  in  crowds   to  consider   it,  and  gaze   upon 
the  countenance  and  movement  of  the  two  Images.     I  thus  had 
abundant  opportunity  to  explain  our  mysteries ;  and  so  inipiis- 
itive  were  they  about  the  Images,  that  each    day  was  but   one 
asking  and  answering  of  (|uestions  from  morning  till  night ;  the 
result  of  which  was,  that  they  were  so  subdued  in  spirit   that  in 
a  few   days,  we  had  many   converts,  not   only  of  Hurons   and 
slaves,  but  also  from  the  natives  of  the  coiHitry. 

Many  brought  their  children  to  me  for  Haptism ;  and  aided 
me  in  teaching  them  the  prayers,  by  repeating  them   after  me  ; 


If  pnx  lamation 
r  the  manner  in 

H)t  and  Menard 
i^iist  in  the  '-car 
ncy  oftwddays; 
jf  sojourn  ll\ere, 
inn  I'ather  Me- 
.it  to  bo  formed. 

sons,  which    the 
ountry,  persuad- 
id  misfortune  to 
ed   quite  coolly, 
ike  of  the    faith, 
l)rin<ii)al    men, 
would  not  break 
alf  of  the    Faith 
it   them  at  wi.  k, 
:hai)el,  on   which 
n  two  days  it  was 
;r  it  had  been  fur- 
mats,  I    there  ex- 
r  Lady  ;  this   was 
rprised  our  barba- 
t,  and  gaze    upon 
lages.     I  thus  had 
;s  ;  and  so  infpiis- 
day  was  but   one 
ing  till  night ;  the 
d  in  spirit   thai  in 
ly  of  Hurons   and 

■y- 

aptism ;  and  aided 
g  them    after  me  ; 


and  in  a  short  time  grace  wrought  such  marvelous  changes, 
thai  liie  little  ciuldren,  who  at  first  made  nie  the  constant  objec  I 
of  their  ridic  iile  and  sport,  now  rendered  me  the  oIVk  es  of  goi.d 
angels,  condiictintj  me  into  the  cabins,  attending  me  wherever 
I  visited,  and  giving  me  the  names  of  those  I  baptized,  as  well 
as  those  of  their  i)arents ;  that  which  these  barbarians  are  ac- 
customed carefully  to  conceal  from  us,  iielieving  thai  we  record 
their  names  that  we  may  send  ihein  to  I'ram  e,  and  there  pro- 
cure their  death  by  magic. 

'I'he  providence  of  (lod  gave  me  three  excellent  teachers  lor 
acipiiri'ig  the  language.  They  are  lirothers,  natives  of  the 
country  and  of  good  natural  dispositions.  Their  kindness  in 
inviting  me  to  their  houses,  and  the  patience  and  assiduity  with 
which  they  iiave  instructed  me,  very  soon  cpialified  me  to  in- 
struct them,  and  by  means  of  the  Images,  which  greatly  excit- 
ed their  curiosity,  lead  them  to  apprehend  our  mysteries. 

The  first  adult  person  that  1  judged  capable  of  bajitism,  was 
an  old  man  eighty  years  of  age,  who,  having  been  louclud  of 
(lod  on  hearing  me  instruct  a  Christian,  desired  me,  two  days 
after,  to  visit  him,  being  to  all  appearance  nigh  unto  death.  1 
had  no  hesitation  in  according  to  him  baptism,  finding  in  him 
all  the  dispositions  of  a  soul  chosen  for  heaven,  in  the  way  to 
whic  h  he  has  had  opportunity  to  prepare  himself. 

'I'he  second  adult  that  I  baptized,  was  a  cripple,  whose  face 
was  covered  with  a  cancer,  which  rendered  him  horrible  l<>  the 
sight.  This  poor  afflicted  one  recxived  me  with  a  joy,  ecpiailecl 
only  by  the  fervor  of  desire  he  had  evinced  that  I  should  visit 
him  ;  and  applied  himself  so  faithfully  to  retain  the  prayers 
and  instructions,  that  I  soon  conferred  upon  him  baptism  in  cnir 
chapel.  Perhaps  these  graces,  whichCiod  has  wrought  in  him. 
are  the  fruits  of  the  charity  that  he  manifested  for  Fathers  l>re- 
beuf  and  Lalemant  some  time  before.  He  told  me  that  he  was 
a  witness  of  their  death,  and  having  by  his  valor  accpiilted  him- 
self with  credit  among  hisr  fellow  warriors  on  that  same  day,  in 
which  he  had  slain  with  his  own  hand  eight  Hurons  and  taken 


five  others  prisoners,  he  had  i.ity  on  these  two  captive  l-athirs. 
and  had  l...unht  then,  ni  the  Mohawk.-,  f..r  two  I.eaut.lul  wam- 
pum hehs.  with  the  .lesign  ..f  relurninK  them  tons  in  safety; 
•  ,ut  lliat  soon  their  c  aplors  gave  bac  k  to  him  these  pledges,  re- 
,laimed  their  prisoners,  and  burned  them  with  all    .ma^mable 

" 'i-his  poor  Lazarus,  as  I  have  named  him  in  baptism,  is  muth 
osieemed  in  the  canton  ;  and  he  is  the  first  support  that  it  pleased 
Cod  to  give  to  this  little  Church,  which  he  augments  continual- 
ly, in  attracting  others  to  the  faith,  through  the  zeal  of  his  dis- 
course and  his  example. 

The  enemy  of  the  Clospel,  unable  to  endure  its  progress,  has 
not  wanted  for  calumnies  with  which  to  trouble   the  Christians. 
Our  faith  is  accused  of  being   the  murderer  of  all  who  profess 
if    aid  the  death  of  several  Christians   at  Onondaga  having 
given  occasion  for  this  delusion  of  the  savages,  the  speech  of  a 
certain  chief,  an    enemy  of  our  religion,  made    at    a    council, 
served  to  excite  still  more  their   prejudices.     So  that  not  only 
many  natives  of  the  country,  judging    it  was   safer  to   believe 
what  this  man  of  authority  among  them  said,  than    to  put  faith 
in  the  totally  opposite  experience  of  our  ancient  Hurons,  have 
bc-gged  me  to  regard   it   well    for  them    to  omit   attendance  at 
prayers,  until  their  fear  of  me  should  abate ;  but  also  they  ac- 
luse  the  faith  of  the  French  of  all  the  evils,  both  i.ubl.c  and 
private  with  which  they  appear  to  be  afflicted.     This  it  is,  that 
a  rertain  apostate  endeavored  to  make  these  barbarians  believe, 
,iling  the  Hollanders  for  proof  of  what  he  said,  when  he  assert- 
ed that  the  children  of  the  Irocpiois  died  two  years   after  their 
baptism  ;  and  that  the  Christians  either  broke  a  leg,  or  pierced 
their  foot   with  a   thorn,  or  became   emaciated,  or  vomited  up 

"         hib  ihr  woi  n  ".^ana  the  <ly  ..«,  fell  into  th-  h:,t,ds  of  the  Ir.Hn.o.s,  .-.ml  afto.  uiulcr- 
,n  soothiiiK  the  'T"""""' ""'' V,,„J^,  ,„,.•, v.iue  ■criiclw,  were  tomahawked  ami  their  charrc.l 

sinns  :  //,  188  -li)l. 


the  s 
nal  II 

If 
safe, 
our  « 
threi 
rend 
won  I 
not  I 

I  1 
a  yoi 
men, 
that 
that 
as  e 
Was 

N. 
not  I 
fider 
nor  I 
that 

T 
mon 

to  k 

• 

two 
the  1 
the 
Si 
retii 
pror 
turn 
ing 
he  r 
the 
the 
that 


aptivr  Katlurs, 
btiuiliful  wani- 
o  us  in  safety  ; 
C8e  pledges,  re- 
all    imaginable 

iplism,  18  much 
rt  that  it  pleased 
icnts  continual- 
zeal  of  his  dis- 

ts  progress,  has 
the  Christians, 
all  who  profess 
nondaga  having 
the  speech  of  a 
at    a    council, 
,o  that  not  only 
safer  to    believe 
han    to  put  faith 
nt  Hurons,  have 
lit   attendance  at 
)Ut  also  they  ac- 
both  public  and 
This  it  is,  that 
arbarians  believe, 
,  when  he  assert- 
years   after  their 
a  leg,  or  pierced 
d,  or  vomited  uj) 


d  Iroquc>i»  burst  upon  llif 
IS,  which  after  a  resnhili- 
sc  two  Fathers,  the  vri- 
;  lime,  and  while  cni;.itic<l 
IrcMHiois,  anil  aftir  unilcr- 
lawkcd  and  their  charred 
'listory  of  Catholic  Mis 


the  soul  will)  the  blood,  or  were  attacked  with  sonie  other  sig- 
nal malady. 

If  our  rej)Ulation  is  thus  calumniated,  oiir  life  is  no  longer 
safe.  A  warrior  of  ni>  at  (piaintance,  having  come  to  lodge  in 
our  (  abin,  has  given  me  no  little  anxiety.  For  having  entere<l 
three  nights  in  succession,  with  a  species  of  possession  which 
renders  him  furious,  he  has  attempted  to  take  my  life,  and 
woultl,  without  doubt,  have  succeeded  in  his  purpose,  if  he  had 
not  been  prevented  by  our  host. 

I  was  threatened  with  death,  after  a  more  haughty  fashion,  by 
a  young  man,  who,  after  hi'ving  heard  me  instruct  a  catechu- 
men, very  sick,  whom  I  wished  to  prepare  for  death,  said  to  me 
that  I  was  a  sorcerer  of  whom  it  was  necessary  to  rid  himself; 
that  I  <  aused  to  live  or  die  such  as  I  pleased  ;  and  that  it  was 
as  easy  for  me  to  heal  this  man,  as  to  lead  him  to  heaven. 
Was  not  this  an  agreeable  repro.ich  > 

Nevertheless,  these  difficulties,  raised  by  the  Kvil  One  have 
not  prevented  the  faith  from  gaining  day  by  day  upon  the  con- 
fidence of  the  people;  nor  that  I  .should  be  heard  everywhere; 
nor  our  chainl  from  being  filled  with  catechumens;  and  finally 
that  1  should  not  baptize  daily  either  children  or  adults. 

This  is  what  the  Father  has  informed  us  during  the  two 
months  he  has  had  charge  of  the  mission,  having  been  obliged 
to  leave  there  and  return  and  join  his  labors  with  those  of  the 
two  other  Fathers  at  Onondaga,  where  they  have  established 
the  foundation  and  the  seminary  of  all  the  other  missions  among 
the  Irotpiois. 

Since  then,  however,  at  that  same  j)lace,  the  Father  having 
returned  there  accompanied  by  five  or  six  French  and  the  more 
prominent  of  the  village,  who  had  come  here  to  beg  him  to  re- 
turn, he  has  been  received  with  all  the  eclat  imaginable  Hav- 
ing found  the  chapel  in  the  same  condition  in  which  he  left  it, 
he  resumed  piayers  on  the  day  of  his  arrival ;  and  so  great  was 
the  zeal  manifested  by  the  converts  and  the  catechumens,  that 
the  Father  writes  that  this  church  is  not  less  promising  than 
that  of  Onondaga. 


NO.  II. 

The  first  mission    among  the  Cayugas,  an    account  of  which 
was  t^iven  in  the  previous  article,  was  of  brief  duration.     It  was 
soon  broken  up  together  with  that  of  Onondaga,  on  the  discov- 
ery of  a  conspiracy  which  extended  to  the  Mohawks   and  Oiiei- 
das,  involving  the  destruction  of  the  French  colony   at  Onon- 
daga, and  the  death  of  the  missionaries.     The  plot  was  disclosed 
t„  the  officer  in  command  of  the  settlement,  by  a  Christian  In- 
dian, and  in  February,  1658,  they  m-do  '.heir   escape  from  the 
country  by  stratagem,  and  after  a  journey  of  hardship  and  peril, 
reached  Montreal,  with  the  loss  of  a  single  canoe,  and  three  of 
their  party  drowned  in    the  St.    Lawrence.*     A  ferocious   war 
broke  out  the  same  year  between  the  French  and  the  Irocpiois, 
and  raged  all  along  the  Canadian  Frontier,  putting  both  Mon- 
treal and  Quebec  in  a  state  of  seige.     It  lasted  some  two  years. 
In  the  nieanwhile  the  missionaries   had  a  steadfast    friend  in 
Garacontic,  the  chief  sachem  of  the  Onondagas,  who  sought  to 
effect  a  peace  for  the  sake  of  their  return.     Through  his   influ- 
ence an  embassy  headed  by  the  chief  of  the  Cayugas,  Saonchio- 
waga,  was  sent  to  Montreal  to  secure  this  object.     Their  arrival 
in  July,  1660,  was  the  first   intimation  ihe   French  received  of 
the  termination  of  hostilities.     The   speech  of  Saonchiowaga, 

"TThc  colonv  W.-IS  under  the  command  of  Diipuys,  who,  relying  implicitly  upon  the  good 
ft.     r  .K„  l?,^i^n«   had  neclectcd  to  preserve   his  c.inocs.     To  construct  new  ones  in  view 

i^the  India       wuildllve^rli'ot^^       of   his  intentions  and  bring  their  hatchets  upon  the 

Ml.  me       -1    once      He  therefore  h.-id  small    bateaux  made  in    the   garret   of  the  Jesuit  s 

>ettlem<-nt  at  ontc      "^  ''     ,    ,  ^      f,„i,h«Kl.     A  young  Frenchman  had  Iicen  adopted  in- 

"^'l^"r\milv  of  ^ ThiTam   a'.ruire^^  influence  over  the  tribe.     By  their  customs,  *n 

.„d  'l""k  ^^j--^  y'h.ng  '^f  r;';^'bV  -rhe  7e"  est  was  granted  and  the  feast  was  spread. 
MuifKrei^hmen  were  .resent,  and  with  ho?ns,  drums  and  trumpets  they  Kent  up  a  con- 
Many  ' '^•-"'-""".p.y  5?',  S  in  the  meanwhile  were  d  gently  embarking  and  loading  their 
linual  uproar.     1  he  ^"■^X"^^IZ'l^^^^^  length  the  guests,  who  had  been   eating 

^mrdri'nkin'gfcr  hours^  cea  ei  gormandiling  to  t..ke!ome  re,Sse.  Vhe  young  Frenchman 
an.l  ''''";'"K  ;°'' i"°""'„„  ,\,ui7ar^  and  in  a  few  minutes  every  red  man  was  in  a  profound 
^ZXer  Ue  th^enloiZl  his'-comp.an^  and  before  ntorning  the  whole  colony  were  far  on 
1  .?r  w«  toward  Oswego  .ate  the  nexl  day,  the  Indians  stood  wondering  at  the  silence 
their  way  «""»."> ,V;*T»"ii;„,.^  of  the  whites  and  when  at  even  ng,  h.tving  seen  no  sii;ii»  of 
hlunrUfc  thr  ugh  thrday'^hey  veiu^^^^^^^  op--  the  fasf^ned  dwellings,  they. were 

^r  -^l  Iv  Ivtonished  at  fimUng  every  Frenchman  gone  ;  and  greater  was  their  nerplexny  in  di- 
gre.illy.istonisncQ  .II  """>-  ,h,.  '  ,,,,„j  heinK  entirely  gnorant  of  their  having  any  ves- 
:::i:"l}!:^sZ^TF:'///t^^  ^^/ -.  /a  "/-'o.    (For  fuUer  account. see  Nela- 

t/oH  Pfs  yesuites,  idsi-q) 


-''■■JLnHv 


» 


Dunt  of  which 
iition.     It  was 
on  the  discov- 
vks   and  Oiici- 
lony   at  Onon- 
t  was  disclosed 
I  Christian  In- 
scape  from  the 
dship  and  peril, 
le,  and  three  of 
ferocious   war 
d  the  Irocjuois, 
ing  both  Mon- 
iome  two  years, 
idfast    friend  in 
,  who  sought  to 
ough  his   influ- 
'Ugas,  Saonchio- 
t.     Their  arrival 
:nch  received  of 
F  Saonchiowaga, 

mplicitly  upon  the  good 
istruct  new  ones  in  view 
their  liatchcts  upon  the 

garret  of  the  Jesuit's 
m  had  licen  adopted  in- 
:,  By  their  customs,  *n 
s  had  a  sulTicient  nurii- 
ind  in  a  solemn  manner 
St,  where  the  guests  ale 
:  old  chief  to  permit  him 
i  the  feast  was  spread, 
ts,  they  kept  up  a  coii- 
larking  and  loading  their 
s,  who  had  heen   eating 

The  yoiuig  Frenchman 
i  man  was  m  a  profoinid 
Ariiole  colony  were  far  cm 
wondering  at  the  silence 
,  h«ving  seen  nosii;ii:.  of 
mcd  dwellings,  they  were 
»as  their  perplexity  in  di- 

of  their  having  any  ves- 
■  fuller  account, see  Ke/a- 


on  this  occasion,  is  one  of  great  adroitness  and  elo(|iience.  !ii 
explaining  the  several  |)resents  ho  liad  brought  as  pledges  of 
the  desired  peace,  coming  to  the  fifth,  he  said  :  "This  is  to  draw 
the  Frenchman  to  us  that  he  may  return  to  his  mat,  which  we 
still  preserve  at  Ganenlaa,  where  the  house  is  yet  standing  that 
e  had  when  he  dwelt  among  us.  His  fire  has  not  been  extin- 
guished since  his  deparlure,  and  his  fields  which  we  have  tilled, 
await  but  his  hand  to  gather  in  the  harvest ;  he  will  make  peace 
nourish  again  in  the  midst  of  us  by  his  stay,  as  he  had  banished 
all  the  evils  of  war."  After  further  assurances  of  good  will,  he 
paused,  and  raising  the  last  l)elt,  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  stern 
resolve  :  "A  Hlack-gown  must  come  with  me,  otherwise  no 
peace,  and  on  his  coming  depend  the  lives  of  twenty  French- 
men." 

After  ijome  hesitation  the  proposals  were  accepted  by  the  au- 
thorities, and  Father  Le  Moyne,  who  had  first  visited  Onon- 
daga in  1653,  and  by  his  repeated  visits  to  the  several  cantons 
of  the  Iro(piois  was  well  known  among  them,  was  selected  to 
accompany  the  party;  and  on  the  12th  of  August,  1660,  was 
received  at  the  Mission  house  by  the  sachems  of  Onondaga, 
Cayuga  and  Seneca,  when  the  acts  of  the  embassy  were  ratified. 
Father  LeMoyne  soon  visited  the  scenes  of  his  former  labors 
among  the  Mohawks,  and  while  there  barely  escaped  a  murder- 
ous attack  upon  his  life.  He  also  spent  a  month  in  company 
with  a  youngsurgeon,  at  Cayuga,  then  ravaged  with  an  epidemic, 
ministering  to  the  sick  and  doing  other  missionary  work;  and 
soon  after  returned  to  Montreal  with  eighteen  Frenchmen,  re- 
leased from  their  captivity,  in  accordance  with  the  i)ledges  giv- 
en by  Saonchiowaga. 

It  was  not  until  eight  years  after  this,  owing  to  the  recurrence 
of  wars  both  with  the  French  and  neighboring  tribes,  that  Gar- 
acontie  succeeded  in  his  desire  for  the  re-estabii-shment  of  the 
missions.  At  length  peace  reigned,  and  confidenci; '  eing  restored, 
missionary  labors  were  resumed  in  the  several  cantons,  (iara- 
contie  went  in  person  to  Quebec,  to  solicit  missionaries  for  On- 


"■■pLbmht 


10 

ondaga  and  Cayuga,  and   returned  with   Kathcrs    Milet  and  de 
Carheil,  in  October,  1668.  j„  mr 

The  following  is  the  account  of  the  labors  "f/'''^^Ywi%^l" 
heil  in  re-establishing  the  mission  at  Cayuga,  translated  from 
Chapter  IV,  ''Relations  Dcs  Jcsuitcs,"  1668-69  : 

MISSION  OF  ST.  JOSEPH  IN  CAYUGA. 

This   people,  making  a   fourth  Iroquois   nation,  are  located 
about  one  hundred   and    sixty-five  leagues    from  Qud>ec  and 
twenty  from  Onondaga,  going  always  between  west  and  soutl^^ 
Father  Stephen   de  Carheil  arrived    at  Ca>..ga   on  the    6th  o 
November,  .668,  and  there   presented  to    Heaven,  as  the   fust 
fruits  of  his  labors,  a  female  slave  of  the  Andastes.     They  had 
111  in  company  from  Onondaga,  and  this  Journey  which  tljey 
made  together  was  the  means  of  enabling  her  to  proceed  on  her 
way  joyfully  towards  paradise;  for  having  been  mstructed  and 
bapt  Jd  during  their  journey  of  two  days,  as  soon  as   she  had 
arrived  at  Cayuga,  she  was  roasted  and  eaten   by  these  barban- 
ans  on  the  6th  of  November. 

Father  Gamier,  who  accompanied  Father  de  Carhe.l,  on  ar- 
riving at  the  village,  made  the  customary  presents  to  secure  the 
build'ng  of  a  chapel  and  prepare  the   way  for   the  reception  of 
he  Christian  faith.     These  -vere  responded  to  by  --  -  P;- 
ents  on  their  part,  in  which  they  promised  to  embrace  tht  faith 
and  erect  a  chapel.     The  chapel  was  compU^ted  on    the  9th  of 
November,  two  days  after  his   arrival,  and  dedicated  to  St.  Jo- 
seph by  Father  de  Carheil.  ,     ,    ,  r  ,u  . 
He  writes  that  on  St.  Catherine's  day,  he  had  the  proof  hat 
this  eminent  saint  was  actively  engaged  in  Heaven  on  behalf  of 
himself  and  these  poor  savages;  that  on   this  day  there  came 
quite  a  number   desiring   prayers  and  mstruction,  so  that   he 
thinks  he  may  call  this  the  day  of  the  birth  of  this  mission  and 
church      "This  is  also  the  day,"  he  adds,  "that  I  implored  this 
LtttowhomI  had  before  been  consecrated  that  she  would 
teach  me  to  speak  in  the  way  she  had   formerly  spoken  to  con- 


11 


Milel  and  do 


'athcr  de  C^ar- 
inslatcd  from 


n,  are  located 
n  Quebec  and 
;st  and  south, 
on  the    6th  of 
in,  as  the   first 
es.     They  had 
icy  which  they 
[)roceed  on  her 
instructed  and 
jr\  as   she  had 
these  barbari- 

Carheil,  on  ar- 
ts to  secure  the 
he  reception  of 
by  similar  pres- 
nbrace  the  faith 
\  on  the  9th  of 
cated  to  St.  Jo- 

1  the  proof  that 
ven  on  behalf  of 
day  there  came 
tion,  so  that  he 
this  mission  and 
t  I  implored  this 
,  that  she  would 
y  spoken  to  con- 


vince the  idolatrous  philosophers.     Since  this  time,  the   t  hapcl 
has  been  enlarged  and  has  never  larked  for  worshijjers." 

It  so  hapi)ened,  at  first,  that  but  {t:w  of  their  warriors  were 
able  to  come  for  instruction,  as  the  greater  i)art  were  engaged 
in  hunting  or  fishing.  Rut  the  umor  of  a  war  party  of  the 
Andastes  in  the  vicinity,  soon  gallu  rod  them  together  and  gave 
the  Father  an  opportunity  to  preach  the  (iospel  to  a  large  num- 
ber. 

This  wide-spread  report  that  the  enemy,  to  the  number  of 
three  hundred,  were  on  their  way  to  attack  Cayuga,  proved 
false ;  but  it  served  as  an  occasion  for  the  Father  to  show  to 
the  Iro(piois  that  he  loved  them,  and  to  raise  him  in  their  es- 
teem by  his  contempt  for  death,  in  remaining  night  after  night 
with  those  who  acted  as  sentinels.  Thus  were  they  disabused 
of  the  idea,  that  in  the  general  |»anic,  he  would  manifest  the  same 
alarm  which  had  seized  others ;  and  the  warriors  themselves, 
the  chiefs  with  the  old  men,  gave  him  a  testimonial  of  the  honor 
in  which  they  held  him,  in  a  public  feast. 

The  Feather  knew  how  to  make  the  most  of  the  opportunity, 
as  he  |)assed  from  cabin  to  cabin,  saying  to  tiiem  ;  "Know,  my 
brothers,  that  men  like  us  fear  not  death.  Why  should  they  be 
afraid  to  die .''  They  believe  in  God;  they  honor  Him;  they 
love  Him  ;  they  obey  Him,  and  are  certain  after  death  of  eter- 
nal happiness  in  heaven.  It  is  you,  my  brothers,  who  ought  to 
fear  death;  for  till  now,  you  have  neither  known  nor  loved  Ciod. 
You  have  never  obeyed  Him.  He  will  punish  you  eternally  if 
you  should  die  without  believing  in  Him,  without  loving  Him, 
without  keeping  His  commandments  and  without  being  bap- 
tized." Then,  having  been  invited  by  a  child  ir^to  a  lodge 
where  there  were  about  twenty  warriors,  he  harangued  them 
after  this  manner  :  "  I  am  delighted,  my  brothers,  to  find  my- 
self in  like  danger  with  you.  Be  assured  that  I  do  not  fear  death  ; 
that  I  would  rather  lose  my  life  than  to  see  you  die  without 
receiving  baptism."  And  he  added  as  the  moral  of  this  appre- 
hended combat,  that  they    would  behold  him   fearlessly  going 


12 

among  the  w(.undcd,  to  baptize  such  as  were  rightly  disposed 
l,y  a  firm  belief  in  our  mysteries  and  a  true  sorrow  for  sin. 

These  warriors  listened  with  marked  pleasure  to  this  discourse, 
and  although  it  grew  out  of  a  false  alarm,  common  among  the 
savages,  yet  it  exerted  an  influerce  as  favorable  for  the  faith,  a^ 
if  the  enemy  had  really  been  at  the  gates.  Thus  a  wise  mis 
sionary  neglects  no  opportunity,  and  intelligently  improves  the 
lime  to  gain,  for  eternity,  precious  souls  which  cost  the   blood 

of  the  Son  of (lod. 

This  church  begins  already  to  grow.  It  numbers  among  its 
converts  not  only  women  and  children,  but  also  warriors,  two 
of  whom  are  among  the  more  noted-one  because  he  bears  the 
name  of  the  hour^  of  Cayuga,  which  he  maintains  with  honor, 
and  the  other  in  consequence  of  his  riches  and  valor.  Prayer 
is  not  despised  at  Cayuga  as  in  other  places.  If  some  are  op- 
posed  to  it,  they  are  the  very  few  ;  nevertheless,  we  are  not  in 
haste  to  give  baptism  to  this  people.  We  wish  rather  to  prove 
their  constancy,  for  fear  of  making  apostates  mstead   of  Chris- 

tians. 

The  Father  employed  in  the  beginning  of  his  teachings  ex- 
cUisively  the  Huron  language,  readily  understood  by  the  Iro- 
(uiois  when  it  is  well  spoken.  He  has  since  prepared  a  formu- 
la of  baptism  in  the  Cayuga  dialect,  and  in  composing  it  has 
used  only  the  simple  roots  of  the  language;  and  is  assured 
from  his  familiarity  with  the  Iroquois  tongue,  acfpurcd  in  his 
travels,  and  from  his  past  experience,  that  if  in  the  use  of  the 
roots  and  of  various  discourses,  he  can  gather  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  words  to  express  different  actions,  he  will  have  mastered 

the  language.  ^  ,        •    • 

Besides  the  town  of  Cayuga  which  is  the  seat  of  the  mission, 
there  are  two  others  under  his  charge-one  four  leagues  from 
there  and  the  other  nearly  six  leagues.  The  last  two  are  situ- 
ated  upon  a  rivor,  which  coming  from  the  region  of  the  Andas- 
togue,  descends,  at  four  leagues  distant  from  Onondaga,  on  its 
way  to  empty  into  T.ake  Ontario.     The  great  quantity  of  rushes 


13 


itly  disposed 
or  sin. 

his  discourse, 
)n  among  the 
r  the  faith,  a- 
s  a  wise  mis- 
improvos  the 
jst  the    blood 

ers   among  its 
warriors,  two 
;e  he  bears  the 
IS    with  honor, 
valor.     Prayer 
f  some  are  op- 
,  wc  are  not  in 
rather  to  prove 
itead   of  Chris- 
is  teachings  ex- 
sd  by    the  Iro- 
;pared  a  formu- 
mposing  it  has 
and  is   assured 
ctpiircd    in   his 
the    use  of  the 
sufficient  num- 
1  have  mastered 

:  of  the  mission, 
ur  leagues  from 
ast  two  are  situ- 
n  of  the  Andas- 
)nondaga,  on  its 
lantity  of  rushes 


on  the  borders  of  this  river  (Seneca)  lias  given  the  n.une  of 
Thiohero  to  tlie  village  nearest  to  ('ayuga.  The  peojjle  who  (  om- 
l)ose  the  body  of  these  three  large  villages  are  partly  C!ayugas, 
and  partly  Hurons  and  .Andastes — the  two  latter  being  captives 
of  war.  It  is  there  that  the  Father  exercises  his  zeal  and  asks 
companions  in  his  apostolic  lal)ors. 

The  remainder  of  this  Relation  is  occupied  with  some  of  the 
difficulties  with  which  the  Missionary  Father  had  to  contend, 
'and  with  his  methods  of  overcoming  the  superstitions  of  the 
peoi)le.     It  will  be  included  in  the  next  number  of  this  series. 

NO.   III. 

Our  last  article  broke  off  in  the  midst  of  the  Relation  con- 
taining a  minute  account  of  the  establishment  of  the  Mission 
of  St.  Joseph  at  Cayuga  by  Father  de  Carheil,  in  November, 
1668,  eight  years  after  the  first  attempt  by  Menard  at  the  same 
place,  as  narrated  in  a  previous  number.  Its  two  dependent 
stations,  it  will  be  remembered,  were  at  the  villages  of  Thiohero 
and  Onnantare,  the  one  four  leagues  and  the  other  six  from  the 
capital  of  the  canton,  and  both  on  the  Seneca  River,  the  water 
route  between  Cayuga  and  Onondaga  the  centre  of  the  several 
missions  among  the  Iroquois.  The  Cayugas  had  villages  south 
of  their  capital,  but  as  they  were  not  within  Mie  missionary  field 
of  the  Jesuit  Fathers,  no  mention  is  made  of  them  in  the  Re- 
lations. The  reader  is  referred  to  the  elaborate  and  exceedingly 
valuable  historical  paper  by  Gen.  John  S.  Clark,  in  the  Auburn 
Daily  Advertiser  of  the  23d  inst.,  for  the  location  of  the  Cayuga 
Castle  on  which  so  much  of  doubt  has  rested,  and  now  for  the 
first  time  determined  by  careful  investigation  from  reliable 
sources.  The  [)roofs  there  submitted  amount  to  a  demonstra- 
tion that  the  site  of  the  capital  of  the  Cayugas,  at  least  two 
hundred  and  twenty  years  ago,  when  first  visited  by  the  Jesuit 
missionaries,  was  on  the  east  bank  of  the  lake,  a  mile  and  a 
half  north  of  the  present  village  of  Union  Springs,  and  remain- 


. 


u 

ed  .such  as  loni^  as  the  nation  retained  a  foothold  in  it.^  iinc  iciu 

domain. 

The  translation  of  crhapter  IV  ''Kelntions  Dcs  Jesuita,'  1668-9, 
on  the  luisKion  of  St.  Joseph  at  Cayuga,  a  portion  of  which  was 
iriven  in  the  last  article  o<  this  series,  is  here  resumed  and  con- 
ceded. Still  referring  to  the  labors  of  Father  de  Carheil  dur- 
ing the  first  year  of  the  i->ission,  it  proceeds  as  follows  : 

While  he  takes  occasion  to  praise  the  docility  of  the  Cayu- 
gas,  he  is  nevertheless  not  without  his  trials.     His  host,  (Saon- 
chiowaga)  who  is  the  chief  of  the  nation  and  who  had  taken  him 
under  his  protection,  has   for  some  time  past   ill-treated  him; 
for,  desiring  as    the    missionary  of   his  people    a  certain  other 
Father,  whom    he    had     brought    with  him  to  his   home   and 
whom  it  was  his   indisputable  right  to  retain,  he  had   allowed 
Father  de  Carheil,  against  his  own  wishes,  to  be  given  to  Cay- 
uga by  C.aracontie  the  famous  chief.     He  says  in   a  haughty 
way  that  he  does  not  belong  to  them,  but  to  Onondaga,  or  per- 
haps to  Oneida,  where  he  insists  he  ought  to  go.     On  the  other 
hand  Ga;acontie  would   have    preferred   Father  de  Carheil,  as 
having  been  i)laced    in  his   hands   at    Quebec,  for  Onondaga 
where  he  is  chief.     But  the  necessity  of  affairs  at  present  has 
compelled  the  arrangement  as    it  is.     This   conflict  of  rights, 
however,  and  this  emulation  as  to  who  will  have  these  mission- 
aries is  sufficient  ground   for  great  hopes,  and    is  proof  that  to 
establish  the  faith,  all  that  is  required  is  the  necessary  number 
of  evangelical  laborers. 

The  famous  Garacontie,  the  most  renowned  of  all  the  Iro- 
cpiois  chiefs,  and  the  most  friendly  of  all  to  the  French,  earnest- 
ly desires  baptism.  Ht;  no  longer  accepts  a  dream  as  a  guide 
to  human  conduct ;  and  promises  that  hereafter  he  will  no 
more  grant  the  things  that  are  dreaqied,  without  the  explic- 
it understanding  that  it  is  not  because  it  is  a  dream  that 
he  accedes  to  the  reciuest.  Furthermon,  he  has  given  his  word 
that  he  will  no  longer  have  more  than  one  wife.  But  inasmuch 
as  it  is  necessary  in  a  chief  of  his  reputation,  that  all  these  mat- 


in  it.>  iinc  iciu 

utiles'  r  668-9, 
of  which  was 
mod  and  cor.- 
e  Carheil  dur- 
lows  : 

{  of  the  ("ay Il- 
ls host,  (Saon- 
had  taken  him 
1-treated  him  ; 
I  certain  otlier 
lis   home   and 
;  had    allowed 
given  to  C'ay- 
in   a  haughty 
:)ndaga,  or  per- 
On  the  other 
de  Carheil,  as 
for  Onondaga 
at  present  has 
nflict  of  rights, 
these  mission- 
is  proof  that  to 
cessary  number 

1  of  all  the  Iro- 
French,  earnest- 
ream  as  a  guide 
fter  he  will  no 
lout  the  explic- 
a  dream  that 
is  given  his  word 
But  inasmuch 
lat  all  these  mat- 


15 


ters  'hoitld  undergo  a  strict  examination,  we  still  defer  baptism. 

He  has  made  the  host  of  Father  de  Carheil  a  present  of  a 
wampum  belt,  to  aftirm  ()ea(e  and  to  establish  our  Father  firm- 
ly in  that  country.  Moreover  everybody  among  the  Irocpiois 
continues  to  appreciate  the  blessings  of  peace,  after  seeing  the 
victories  of  the  F'rench  arms  among  their  neighbors.  Neverthe- 
less nothing  is  so  assured  among  these  barbarians,  that  it  is  not 
necessary  always  to  be  on  one's  guard. 

Father  de  Carheil,  perceiving  that  it  had  a  good  effect,  by 
way  of  ridicule,  with  those  savages  who  choose  something  cre- 
ated and  vile  as  the  master  of  their  lives,  to  f  a  prayer  in 
accordance  with  their  notions,  has,  in  certain  .es,  resort- 
ed to  this  method  : 

"We  must  pray,"  said  he  "to  the  masterof  ourlife  ;  and  since 
this  beaver  is  the  master  of  thy  life,  let  us  offer  him  a  prayer  : 
77iou  O  Beaver,  7vho  canst  not  speak,  thou  art  the  master  of  the 
life  of  mc,  who  can  speak!  Thou  who  hast  no  soul,  thou  c-t  the 
master  of  my  life  who  have  a  sfiul !  "  One  such  prayer  brought 
them  to  serious  reflection,  and  revealed  to  them,  that  until  then, 
they  had  not  had  the  wit  to  see,  that  in  reality  they  did  not 
recognize  these  creatures  as  the  masters  of  their  lives.  Thus  he 
introduces,  little  by  little,  the  knowledge  of  the  true  (Jod,  and 
teaches  them  his  commandments,  which  they  find  to  be  most 
reasonable. 

But  alas  !  these  fair  beginnings  are  unhappily  reversed.  All 
the  powers  of  hell  are  arrayed  in  opposition.  Superstition  has 
taken  a  new  lease  of  life  ;  and  the  Father  has  discovered  that 
in  a  heathen  and  barbarous  country  a  missionarj-  is  compelled 
to  carry  his  life  in  his  hand.  The  Father  had  gone  to  Thio- 
hero,  and  there  been  invited  to  a  feast,  at  which  everything  was 
to  be  eaten,  for  the  healing  of  a  sick  person,  whom  he  went  to 
visit  with  the  design  of  baptizing  her,  after  imparting  the  neces- 
sary instruction.  Observing  thai  he  did  not  eat  all  this  they 
had  prepared  for  him,  they  insisted  that  it  was  essential  that  he 
should  eat  it  all  in  order  to  heal  the  sick  one.     "  I  do    not  see» 


J 


16 

my    hrollicrs."  lie   replied,  "th;it     I   <  an    heal  lier    in  making 
myself  sick  by  over  eating,  and  by  a  r  ,  'cdy  which  the  Master 
of  our  lives  forbids  ;  since  it  would  make   two  persons  sick  in- 
stead of  one— the  prst  one  remaining  sick  and  he  who  over  eats 
becoming  so."     Al    were  taken  by  surprise  with  this  reply.    T'..e 
sick  person,  above  all,  approved  of  what  had  been  said,  declar- 
ing that  since  this  was  not  the  proper   course,  she  was  resolved 
to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  sui)erstitious  remedies  of  this 
sort,  nor  with   their  c'ances  as  well,  which  only   served  to  split 
a  sick  i)erson's  head.*     Since  the   Father  believed  that  the  dis- 
ease had  left  her,  and  after   her   baptism,  she  was   taken  from 
'I'hiohero  to  Cayuga  where  she  made   confession  of  si>     com- 
n.itted  since  she  had  received  the  grace  of  baptism.     At  length 
she  died,  fdled  with  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  after  death 
she  would  be  eternally  hapi)y.     Her  death,  however,  joined  with 
the  wide  spread  impression  that  baptism  caused  the  death  of  in- 
dividuals, confirmed  the  delusion  with  which  the   Evil  One  ha:; 
blinded  these  people  to  prevent  their  salvation. 

Since  this  occurrence,  the  Fatfier  writes  us,  that  he  has  often 
been  repulsed  and  even  driven  from  the  cabins  whither  he  has 
gone  to  visit  the  sick.  But  to  understand  fully  the  situation  in 
which  he  soon  found  himself,  and  the  danger  of  losing  one's 
life,  to  which  the  missionary  in  this  heathen  country  is  contin- 
ually exposed,  it  is  necessary  to  give,  in  his  own  words,  the  evil 
treatment  he  has  receive  ",  mere  particularly  on  one  or  two  oc- 
casions. 

"I  had  entered  a  cabin,"  he  says,  "to  instruct  and  bti)lize  a 
young  woman,  the  daughter  of  a  Huron  captive ;  and  though  the 
time  for  baptism  was  pressing  she  would  not  listen  to  me  any 
more  readily  than  at  the  commencement  of  her  sickness,  when  her 

♦Charlevoix  gives  .in  extended  account  of  the  su,»crstitious  customs  here  ""'''le'l  •". 
Ti,e  instance  as  I  old  him  l.y  a  missionary  Kathcr  who  witnessed  the  scene,  was  that  of  a 
mr,  woman  afflicted  witf.  a  rheumatfc  distemper  who  tm.U  .t  ".to  her  head  that  she 
sWd  be  cured  by  means  of  a  feast,  the  ceremonies  of  which  were  under  her  own  direction 
The  va  U,u  l^rformances  lasted  four  days,  attended  with  cries  or  rather  •>^'»"■•K^""■^," 
sorts  of  extravau;.:.!  actions.  His  inf.irmant  stated  that  she  was  not  cured,  but  churned  to 
be  heuer  th.;n  l^fore  ;  nevertheless,  he  added,  a  strong  and  hea  thy  ,H.-rson  wo.dcl  have 
been  killed  by  the  ceremeny.-itv  Journey  in  North  Amerua,  i'ol.  I'.  //.  >oa-ao6. 


li 


17 


LT    in  making 
ich  the  Master 
)t'rsons  sick  in- 
who  over  eats 
his  reply     Tl.e 
;n  said,  detlar- 
e  was  resolved 
emedies  of  this 
served  to  split 
.'d  that  the  dis- 
as   taken  from 
n  of  si>     <:om- 
sm.     At  length 
that  after  death 
;ver,  joined  with 
the  death  of  in- 
e  Evil  One  has 

lal  he  has  often 
i  whither  he  has 
the  situation  in 
of  losing  one's 
mntry  is  contin- 
1  words,  the  evil 
I  one  or  two  oc- 

cl  and  lvt])ii/e  a 
;  and  though  the 
isten  to  me  any 
ckness,  when  her 


istoms  here  alliiclcd  t". 
le  scene,  was  that  €)f  a 
into  her  head  that  she 
under  her  own  direction, 
rather  howlinjis  and  a'l 
)t  cured,  hut  claimed  to 
thy  (lerson  would  have 
?/.  /'.  //.  202 — 206. 


father  answered  saying,  "Thou  speakest  as  formerly  spoke  Ka- 
Iher  Hreheuf  in  our  country.  Thou  teat  hest  that  which  he 
taught ;  and  as  he  caused  men  to  die  hy  i)ouring  water  on  their 
heads,  you  will  cause  us  to  die  in  the  same  manner."  I  well 
knew  from  that  moment  that  there  was  nothing  to  hope 
for.  Immediately  after  this,  I  observed  one  to  enter  who  is  a 
medicine  man  of  our  cabin  ;  besides  he  is  much  attached  to  me, 
and  is  in  the  habit  of  jjraying  to  (lod  and  even  knows  the  pray- 
ers  by  heart.  He  remained  for  some  time  without  disclosing 
his  purpose,  but  seeing  that  I  did  not  retire,  he  commenced,  in 
my  presence,  first  to  apply  some  remedies  in  which  I  saw  no 
harm;  and  then  refusing  my  aid  in  the  ajjplication  he  wns 
about  to  make  of  certain  other  remedies,  he  insisted  that  I 
should  leave  the  cabin.  It  caused  me  great  sorrow  to  make  up 
my  mind  to  leave,  and  I  could  not  do  it,  as  1  looked  upon  this 
poor  creature  dying,  without  weeping,  with  all  the  compassion  of 
which  my  eyes  were  cajjuble.  As  1  saw  the  people  that  fdled 
the  cabin  astonished  at  my  tears,  and  also  met  the  look  of  the 
sick  person  who  at  the  first  had  turned  her  eyes  from  me,  1  spoke 
to  them  after  this  manner  :  "Why  do  you  wonder,  my  brothers,  to 
see  me  weep  thus.?  I  love  the  salvation  of  this  soul,  and  I  see 
her  about  to  fall  into  eternal  fire,  because  she  is  not  willing  to 
hear  my  words.  I  bewail  her  danger  which  you  cannot  know  as 
I  do."  After  this  I  left  and  sought  a  neighboring  field  to  pour 
out  my  complaint  to  God,  still  beseeching  the  salvation  of  this 
person.  But  there  was  no  more  time;  for  a  few  moments  after 
they  had  driven  me  out  and  in  my  person  the  mercy  of  God, 
this  unhappy  soul  was  taken  from  the  body  by  divine  justice 
and  banished  eternally  from  heaven. 

I  felt,  through  the  evening,  my  heart  filled  with  the  bitterness 
of  grief,  which  took  away  all  disposition  to  sleep,  ever  keeping 
before  my  eyes  the  loss  of  this  soul  that  I  loved  and  desired  to 
save,  but  which  now  was  lost.  I  then  had  a  much  clearer  con- 
ception than  ever  before  of  the  singular  anguish  of  the  heart  of 
Jesus,  who  loved  all  men  and  desired  to  save  them  all,  but  who 


IS 

nevcrtlu-Kss  knew  the  pro,Uni..v".  multitude  of  men  that  w,.uia 
damn  then.clvcs  in  ti>c  .  oursc  of  the  a«es      His  -row  wa     " 
,,„,,,Uon  to  the  greatness  of  his  love.      1  hat.  whu     at  the  l. 
;,f  this  one  soul,  so  beat  ch.wn  n,y  heart,  was  ou    of  love   wh    h 
did  not  appnach  the  h,ve  of  Jesus-only  a  feeble  spark  o.  .t. 
()  Cod.  what  was  the  condition  of  the  Saviour's  heart  cr.nsc.ous 
of  this  universal  sorrow  over  the  fate  of  all  the  damned  !      ( >  h<.w 
small  is  the  grief  which  men  feel  for  temporal  h.sses  m  < cmp'ir 
is<m  with  that  which  one  feels  for  the  loss  of  souls,  when  he  re- 
Tes  u'eir  infmite  worth  !     Then  the  words  of  St.  Paul,  whu  h 
describe  the  sufferings  he  recounts  from  his  experience,  .ame  m- 
to  my  mind;  and  it  seen,e.l  to  u.e  that  those  which  expressed 
his  .leepest  anguish  were,  Sollicitudo  Eccleuanm,  the  c.are  of  the 

""' wT.ilst'engaged  in  these  thoughts  I  was  astonished  at  the  ap- 
pearance ol    my  host,  who  approached   me  w.th    a  fr.ghtened 
countenance  and  whispered  in  my  ear.  that  I  must  not  «o  abroad 
on  the  morrow,  nor  even   for  three  days,  from  the  s.de  of  the 
town  in  which  is  the  cabin  of  the  woman  who  had   n.st  d.td^ 
Mv  first  thought  was  that  they  had  formed  the  design  to  break 
,„V  head      Then  all  the  bitterness  of  my  heart  was  dissipated 
and  changed  into  extreme  joy,  at  seeing  myself  in  danger  of 
death  for  the  salvation  of  souls.     I  urged  him  to  give  nrie  the 
reason  why  1  should  not  go  from  that  place;  and  though  he  did 
,ot  seem  willing  that  I  should  think  they  intended  to    .11  me 
he  nevertheless  said  enough  to  make  me  believe  it.     1  dul  wha 
prudence  demanded,  and  replied  that  I   would  restrain  my^sel 
from  going,  during  these  three  days,  in  my  work  of  instruction 
to  the  other  side  of  the  town.  . 

m  the  meanwhile  the  old  men  were  almost  continually  m 
council  to  restrain,  by  presents,  these  furious  persons  who  had 
resolved  my  death,  the  report  of  which  reaching  Onondaga cre- 
"td  much  excitement  among  all  our  Fathers  and  in  the  neigh- 
'llg  cantons,  even  causing  them  to  send  by  express  to  know 
h    tr' th  of  the  matter.     The  affair  has  had  no  further  re^-lt. 


>cn   tliat  woiiUl 
s  sorrow  was  in 
i\w\\  at  the  loss 
t  of  love   which 
.•l)lc  spark  ol  it. 
heart,  conscious 
.mned !      C)  how 
)sses  in  (ompar- 
iiils,  when  he  re- 
St.  I'aul,  which 
.•rience,  came  in-- 
which  expressed 
/;/,  the  care  of  the 

/ 

nished  at  the  ap- 
ith    a  frightened 
list  not  «o  abroad 
1  the  side  of  the 
lo  had  'iiist  died. 
i;  design  to  break 
rt  was  dissipated 
self  in  danger  of 
n  to  give  me  the 
ind  though  he  did 
tended  to  kill  me, 
ive  it.     1  did  what 
Id  restrain  myself 
ork  of  instruction 

ost  continually  in 
I  persons  who  had 
ing  Onondaga  cre- 
1  and  in  the  neigh- 
y  express  to  know 
1  no  further  res-U. 


I!) 

All  is  now  appeased,  and  I'ather  de  t:arlieil  continues,  wilhout 
fear,  his  ordinary  labors. 

This  first  alTront  that  he  received  was  only  a  trial  of  his  cour- 
age  lo  prepare  him  for  a  similar  one  given  by  a  yoimg  warrior, 
who  ch4.sed  him  from  his  cabin  be<  ause  the  Father  wmild  not 
allow  him  to  say,  that  in  roasting  an  ear  of  Indian  i orn  in  the 
ashes  he  was  roasting  the  master  of  his  life.  'I'hese  are  the  only 
instances  of  ill  treatment  that  he  has  received  in  the  town  of 
Cayuga,  composed  of  more  than  two  thousand  souls,  and  in 
which  they  count  more  tharl  three  hundred  warriors. 

They  do  not  associate  death  with  prayer,  as  with  baptism. 
Many  warriors  and  numbers  of  women  come  to  pray  to  Ood. 
The  children  even  know  the  prayers  by  heart.  The  knowledge 
of  (lod's  comuKindments  has  become  common  in  their  f.imilies; 
and  so  eager  are  they  for  instruction,  that  they  a.sk  to  pray  to 
(lod  in  the  open  streets. 

Drunkenness,  which  has  [jcnetrated  even  to  the  ('ayugas,  has 
made  havoc  among  them,  and  hindereil  greatly  the  progress  of 
the  gos|)el.  The  l-'ather  iwrites  us  from  there,  that  it  is  very 
<  ommon  for  them  to  drink  for  the  mere  sake  of  intoxication. 
They  avow  this  loudly  beforehand  ;  and  one  and  another  is 
hear<l  to  say,  "  /  am  .(,W«.«,'  i<>  lose  my  head ;  I  am  ^oing  to  drink 
the  water  ivhich  takes  away  my  wits." 

The  number  of  persons  thai  have  been  baptized  is  twenty- 
eight,  of  whom  one-half  have  already  died,  with  such  pre|>ara- 
tion  as  leav     us  to  believe  that  they  have  gone  to  heaven. 

NO.*  IV. 

In  the  present  number  the  history  of  the  Mission  of  St.  Jo- 
seph at  Cayuga,  as  given  in  Cha|)ter  VIII  of  the  Relations  for 
1669-70,  is  resumed.  As  this  was  the  scene  of  the  Labors  of 
Father  de  Carheil  for  a  |)eriod  of  sixteen  years  (1668-84),  a  brief 
sketch  of  this  accomplished  .and  intrepid  missionary  will  be  of 
interest  in  this  connection. 


20 
Ho  cnme  from  France  to  guoLcr  in   .656.  and  was  immedi- 
ately sent  on  a  mission  to  the  Murons,  who  K-vc  h.m  the  nan.e 
f  Aon.lechete.     In  .667  he  accompanied  Cara.ont.e.  .  h.e.  of 
Lnda^a.  frun.  C^.ebce,  and   tl,e  n.llow.n«   year  was  ^n   J. 
CavuKa      He  sto..d  in  the  very  fnml  rank  of  the  Jes  U.Kuhc  s 
ofTis   imo.  and  was  .listinguished  alike   f..r  his  mtelle.  tua.  at- 
ti  ments    ud  saintly  devotion.     As  a  philolog.st  he   was  re- 
;  I^     He  became  master  of  tiu-  Huron  an.l  Iro,,uo.s  ian- 

'  ;.,cs  an.l  .  onuK.se<l  valuable  works   in  and  .  on.  ernu.g  both 
trn'-of  which  are  still  extant.     He  died  at  (.)uebec  m  .7^6.  at 

•'"j;::;;::l:the  eminent  historian  ..f  New  K^^^^^^^^ 

ton.  hinii  tribute  to  his  chara.  ter  :  .,<•,• 

"  ,  left  this  missi.mary  at  t^.ebec  in  .7-.  -n  the  pnme  of  h.s 
vigor  and  apostolic  zeal;  yet  h..w  clearly  had  h.s  ••  illustrated 
he.  truth,  that  men  the  m..st  holy  an.l  most  estimable    ..r  the  r 
pi'rs  nal  ..ualities  are  but  instruments  in  the  hands  of  (..,.    w.  h 
':,  ..m  He  can  as  easily  dispense  as  with   H.s  most  unpr..h table 
servants.     He  had  sacrificed  noble  talents  through  whu.h  he 
„i,ht  have  attained  high  honors  in  his  profess.on   and  h.okmg 
Trv^^^rd  only  t..  the  martyr  fate  of  n.any  of  h.s  brethren,  who 
Ld  bedewed  Cana.la  with  their  blood,  he  had.  aga.nst  the  w.sh- 
esand   larger  designs  of  his  Superiors,  obta.ned  th.s  m.ss..m, 
whose  obscurity  thus  placed  him  far  w.thout  the  .:.rc  e  of  am- 
bitious strife,  and  could  present  to  him  naught  mt  the  hardsh.ps 
of  the  Cross.     Here  he  had  labored  pers.stently  for   more  than 
six  y  years,  and  could  speak  the  language  of  the  Hurons  .nd 
he  J.q«oiswith  as  much  facility  and  elegance  as  h.s  nat.ve 
ongue.     The  French  and  the  Indians  al.ke  regarded  h.m  as  a 
::u  and  a  genius  of  the  highest  order.     Yet  -^;'  ;^^- 
complishments,  his  conversions  were  .very  few.     He  hum.l.ated 
C  elf  before  (lod,  and  this  mortificat.on  of  pr.de  served  more 
■  re  to  sanctify  his  life.     He  often  declared  to  me  that  he 

Tdored  these  manifest  designs  ..f  Providence  toward  hm.  per- 
suaded as  he  was.  that  the  honors  and  s..ccess.  he  .n.ght  have 


I  was  imniedi- 
hiii)  the  name 
intitic,  « liicf  of 
ir  was  sent  to 
Itsuit  I'atlicrs 
intcllc<  liial  al- 
;ist  he  was  re- 
el lr(ii|ii()is  lan- 
iiKcrning  lioth, 
ebei-  in  1726,  at 

ram  f,  pays  this 

the  prime  of  his 
is  life  illustrated 
imable  for  their 
lulsof  (]o{l,  with 
lost  unprofitable 
rough  whiih  he 
iion,  and  looking 
is  brethren,  who 
against  the  wish- 
led  this  mission, 
the  circle  of  ain- 
|)Ut  the  hardships 
ly  for   more  than 

the  Hurons  nnd 
nee  as  his  native 
egarded  him  as  a 

with  all  these  ac- 
.  He  humiliated 
pride  served  more 
ired  to  me,  that  he 

toward  him,  per- 
ss,  he  might  have 


atlnine<l  upon  .1  iiuire  brilliant  arena,  would  have  resulted  in 
the  losRof  his  s(uil ;  and  that  this  thought  was  his  unfailing  con- 
solation amid  the  sterile  rcsultK  of  his  long  and  toilsome  apos- 
tolate. 

"I  have  deemed    it   my  duty  to  record  this  bright  example, 
that  those  now  entering  upon  the  calling  of  an    evangelist   may 
understand  thai  no  years  n«id   no  toils  can  be   lost,  if  through 
them  all  lliey    attain  saintliness  of  charai  ter ;  that  the  c«)nvir- 
sion  of  souls  is  alone  the  work  of  grace;  that  no  natural  lal 
cut,  nor  even  the  sublimest  virtues,  can  have  any  power  to  melt 
hard  hearts,  ex(  ept  as  (lod  himself  may    give  them  effu  ienry  ; 
and  that  amid  .ill  their  fruitless  toils,  they  should  ever  remem- 
ber, that  those  ministering  angels  who  draw  from  the  very  bo- 
som  of  Divinity  the  heavenly  fire,  a  single  sjjark  of  which  would 
suffice  to  draw  the  whole  world   l(»  the  embrace  of  the   Divine 
l.ove,  and  to  whom  the  gaurdianship  of  nations,  as  of  individu 
als,  is  committed — even  those  holy  angels  often  are  left  to  mourn 
over  thff  blindness  of  unbelievers  and  the  obduracy  of  their  sin 
ful  hearts."* 

The  following  is  a  translation  from  a  letter  of  ['"atlier  de  ("ar- 
heil,  written  from  (!ayuga,  under  date  of  June,  1670,  jirefaced 
witii  the  statement  that  the  canton  has  three  principal  /xxifgs, 
Cayuga,  which  bears  the  name  of  St.  Joseph,  Thiohero,  also 
called  St.  Stephen,  and  Onontare  or  St.  Rene. 

I  have  baptized,  since  last  autumn,  twenly-five  children  and 
twelve  adults,  a  good  portion  of  whom  Heaven  has  claimed,  and 
among  them  nine  children,  whose  salvation  is  thus  secured. 
The  loving  providence  of  God  has  appeared  to  me  so  manifest 
in  reference  to  some  for  whom  I  had  almost  no  hope,  that  I  have 
been  taught  by  experience,  a  missionary  ought  never  to  dispair 
of  the  conversion  of  any  soul,  whatever  resistance  it  may  ofTer 
to  divine  grace. 

I  had,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  thrown  away  my  time  and  labor 
in  endeavoring  to  gain  to  God  a  man  and  woman  already  very 

*Uiiioir0  De  l,a  Nouvdlt  France,  Paru,\j^i,  Tame  Premier  ft-  403—404. 


22 

old,  and  who  at  l)est  could  not  live  long.     The  things  of  heaven 
made  no  imprrssion  upon  their  hardened  hearts.     They  regard- 
ed faith  and  baptism  with  horror,  as  serving  only  to  hasten  their 
death      For  it  is  the  received  opinion  of  the  larger  part  of  this 
people,  founded  as  they  say  on  their  own  observation,  that  for 
the  thirty  years  and  more,  in  which  our  fathers  have  labored  for 
the  conversion  of  the  Indians  of  Canada,  not  only  the  !amilies, 
but  likewise  whole  nations,  which  have  embraced  the  faith  have 
become  desolated  or  extinct,  almost  as  soon  as  they  have  be- 
come Christians,  and  that  the  greater  part  of  those  on  whom  is 
conferred  holy   baptism   die   soon   after   receiving    it.      1  hese 
wretched  people  seem  to  be  so  possessed,  on  this  subject,  with 
the  artifices  of  the  Evil  One  that  they  do  not  consider  that,  for 
the  most  part,  the  persons  we  baptize  are  already  in  the  extrem- 
ity of  their  disease  and  nigh  to  death,  and  thus  that,  baptism  can- 
not be  the  cause  of  their  death  any  more  than  of  their  sickness. 
This  popular  error  had  so  alarmed  these  two  poor  savages  that 
they  would  not  listen  to  the  idea  of  being  baptized,  nor  permit 
me  even  to  visit  their  friends  when  sick.     Nevertheless,  havmg 
seen   each  other   stricken    down    with  a  mortal  malady,  they 
sought  our  instructions  and  demanded  baptism  with  such  ardor 
of  desire  that  it  was  not  possible  to  refuse  them.     Thus  God 
knows  well  how  to  interpose  in  favor  of  His  elect  and  the  most 
suitable  time  for  the  infallible  operation  of  His  grace. 

The  person  of  all  this  neighborhood,  who  had  given  me  most 
solicitude  with  respect  to  her  baptism,  and  finally  the  most  con- 
solation, is  a  woman  of  the  Senecas,  who  had  been  sick  for  nine 
or  ten  months.  The  extraordinary  number  of  persons  she  had 
seen  die  after  the  arrival  of  Father  Fremin  in  her  canton,  men, 
women  and  children  ;  and  the  noise  made  everywhere  about 
him  as  the  sole  author  of  this  general  desolation,  and  by  his 
sorceries  and  magic  and  poisons  causing  death  wherever  he 
went,  had  given  this  woman  such  a  horror  of  our  person  and 
remedies,  our  instructions  and  of  baptism,  that  I  could  not  gam 
access  to  her,  nor  obtain  an  opportunity  to  speak  to  her  of  her 


23 


ingsof  heaven 
They  regard- 
to  hasten  their 
;er  part  of  this 
ation,  that  for 
Lve  labored  for 
ly  the  families, 
the  faith  have 
they  have  be- 
)se  on  whom  is 
ing    it.     These 
is  subject,  with 
nsider  that,  for 
f  in  the  extrem- 
at,  baptism  can- 
f  their  sickness, 
lor  savages  that 
zed,  nor  permit 
rtheless,  having 
il  malady,  they 
with  such  ardor 
:m.     Thus  God 
ct  and  the  most 
grace. 

i  given  me  most 

ly  the  most  con- 

een  sick  for  nine 

persons  she  had 

her  canton,  men, 

verywhere  about 

tion,  and   by  his 

ath  wherever  he 

our  person  and 

I  could  not  gain 

eak  to  her  of  her 


salvation.  She  had  even  communicated  ihis  aversion  to  all  in 
the  same  cabin,  saying  that  they  were  dead  if  they  |)ernutted 
me  to  come  near  them.  She  had  alarmed  them  to  such  a  de- 
gree, that  as  soon  as  I  entered  the  cabin  they  all  remained  in 
profound  silence,  regarding  me  with  a  frightened  look,  and  in 
their  unwillingness  to  hear  me,  making  no  response,  except  that 
I  should  leave  forthwith.  In  exchanging  her  residence  subse- 
(juently,  she  fortunately  went  to  live  with  persons  who  were 
friendly  to  me;  still  she  preserved  in  her  heart  the  old  aversion 
toward  me  as  one  who  carried  about  with  him  a  deadly  poison, 
with  the  power  to  communicate  it  by  word  or  look.  I>ut  the 
more  this  poor  woman  held  me  in  repugnance,  the  more  our 
Lord  enabled  me  to  exercise  charity  toward  her,  and  to  hope 
for  her  salvation,  even  against  hope;  and  though  I  saw  no  way 
in  which  this  could  be  brought  about,  night  and  day  I  thought 
of  her,  commending  her  to  God,  and  her  guardian  angel,  and 
to  the  one  who  has  care  of  me,  and  t )  those  who  watch  for  the 
salvation  of  the  people  near  to  her.  The  night  of  her  death  1 
felt  strangely  impressed  to  offer  mass  solely  for  her;  and  in  tiiis 
1  solemnly  vowed  to  our  Lord  that  there  was  nothing  in  this 
world  that  I  was  not  willing  to  sacrifice  to  Kim,  provided  he 
would  accord  to  me  this  soul  for  whose  salvation  He  had  given 
a  thousand  fold  more  than  I  could  offer  Him,  since  He  had 
bought  it  with  His  own  blood,  and  by  His  life.  After  mass  I 
went  to  visit  her  five  or  six  times ;  but  the  Evil  One  still  re- 
tained his  hold  upon  her  blinded  mind.  She  would  only  re- 
gard me  with  a  fierce  and  angry  look  and  drive  me  from  her 
presence.  One  time  her  resentment  rose  to  such  a  pitch,  that 
weak  as  she  was,  she  took  one  of  her  shoes  and  hurled  it  at 
me,  and  I  left  the  cabin.  But  God,  who  would  save  this  soul, 
pressed  me  to  re-enter  immediately  ;  and  prompted  me  to  adopt 
this  method  of  gaining  her  atten.'on.  I  addressed  the  people 
about  her,  saying  to  them  the  things  which  I  would  teach  the 
sick  person  herself,  as  if  intended  for  them.  In  this  way  she 
was  led  to  apprehend  very  clearly  the  danger  of  eternal  misery, 


24 

whi(  h  Ininn  over  her,  and  was  touched  with  ^hc  thought  of  in- 
finite haupiness  in   paradise,  now  brought  so   near  for  her  ac- 
ceptance.    In  availing  myself  of  this  mode  of  address,  I  spoke 
before  her  to  those  persons  of  all  these  things,  to  which  I  added 
some  considerations  on  the  mercy  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  becan-e 
man  for  our  salvation,  giving  her  to  understand  that  He  would 
bestow  upon  her  His  everlasting  love,  if  she  would  only  have 
recourse  to  Him  in  simj^e  trust.     I  passed  the  day  without  any 
satisfactory  result.     Finally  I   returned  that  evening  as  for  the 
last  time.     It  proved  however  the  first  in  which  I  gained  her  confi- 
dence.    This  time  I  only  spake  to  her  with  my  eyes,  regarding 
her  with  a  gentle  kindness,  and  a  sympathy  sensibly  touched  by 
heraflliction,  and  endeavoring  to  render  some  little  attentions  to 
alleviate  her  condition.     I   perceived  that  she  began  to  relent 
and  show  a  disposition  to  tolerate  me.     But  God  served  him- 
self of  a  brave  woman,  who  was  instrumental  in  finally  gaining 
this  soul  to  Him.     "It  is  time,"  she  said  "that  thou  hearest  this 
which  the  Father  would  teach,  to  the  end  that   thou  mayest  be 
happy  through  all  eternity."     "I  am  content,"  replied  the  sick 
person,  "that  he  should  instruct  me.     I  will  hear  him  gladly." 
She  now  listened  with  remarkable  attention  and  docility.     She 
received  with  faith  all  my  instructions,  and  at  my  request  that 
she  would  repeat  after  me  the  prayers,  said  :  "Thou  seent  well, 
my  brother  that  I  can  scarcely  speak.     My  disease  is  heavy  up- 
on my  chest  and  suffocates  my  voice,  but  I  pray  you  believe  that 
my  heart  says  all  that  thou  sayest,  and  that  my  tongue  cannot 
say.     Now  baptize  me  without  delay  ;  I  wish  to  die  a  Christian, 
that  Jesus  may  have  pity  on  me."     I  baptized  her  on  the  mo- 
ment, and  the  same  night  God  called  her  to  heaven.     Oh  !  how 
well  we  are  rewarded  for  all  our  anxieties,  painful  as  they  may 
be,  by   one  such  marvelous  conversioin ;  and  how  happy  is  a 
missionary  in  awaiting  from  God  that  which  to  his  feebleness 
appears  impossible.     He  realizes  the  truth  of  the  words  of  the 
evangelist,"  that  God  can  cause  to  be  born  of  thest  very  stones  chil- 
dren unto  Abra/tam—th&t  is  to  say,  choose  his  elect  from  these 


25 


thought  of  in- 
ear  for  her  ac- 
Idrcss,  I  spoke 
which  I  added 
it,  who  hecap.e 
that  He  would 
juld  only  have 
ay  without  any 
ning  as  for  the 
lined  her  confi- 
eyes,  regarding 
1)1  y  touched  by 
tie  attentions  to 
began  to  relent 
od  served  him- 
i  finally  gaining 
[lou  hearest  this 
thou  niayest  be 
eplied  the  sick 
ar  him  gladly." 
i  docility.     She 
my  request  that 
rhovi  seent  well, 
ase  is  heavy  up- 
you  believe  that 
y  tongue  cannot 
)  die  a  Christian, 
her  on  the  mo- 
aven.     Oh !  how 
iful  as  they  may 
how  happy  is  a 
o  his  feebleness 
the  words  of  the 
!t  very  stones  chil- 
elect  from  these 


hearts  which  to  us  appear  so  hard  and  impenetrable  to  His 
grace. 

1  declare  in  all  sincerity  tliat  it  is  to  me  a  great  consolation 
to  see  myself  surrounded  by  su  many  sepulchn.'s  uf  saints  in  a 
place,  where,  on  my  arrival,  my  eyes  rested  only  on  the  graves 
of  the  heathen  ;  and  as  it  was  this  spectacle  of  the  dead  which 
struck  me  so  painfully  on  my  first  coming  here,  so  it  is  now, 
the  thought  that  gives  me  the  greatest  joy. 

The  first  winter  after  I  came  to  this  village,  (iod  favored  me 
wkh  the  privilege  of  giving  baptism  to  two  good  women,  one  of 
whom  had  called  me  expressly  to  baptize  her,  on  the  Day  of 
Purification.  They  both  survived  their  baptism  an  entire  year, 
and  as  they  had  been  faithful  to  their  promises,  and  frequented 
the  |)rayers  and  sacraments  with  devotion,  I  doubt  not  they 
have  increased  the  number  of  the  elect  in  Heaven. 

A  Christian  man  and  Christian  woman  of  our  ancient  church 
of  the  Hurons  have  also  given  me  the  greatest  consolation,  as 
the  witness  of  the  purity  of  their  faith,  and  oi  their  lives,  until 
death,  for  which  they  had  attained  a  saintly  preparation  in  the 
use  of  the  sacraments  of  the  church. 

— The  remainder  of  this  letter  of  Father  de  Carheil,  which 
will  be  given  in  our  next  article,  is  more  particularly  occupied 
with  his  methods  of  instruction,  evincing  tact  and  ingenuity 
not  only,  but  a  sincerity  and  devotion  which  no  one  can  fail  to 
respect  and  admire. 

NO.   V. 

The  remainder  of  the  letter  of  Father  de  Carheil,  the  transla- 
tion of  which  was  commenced  in  the  last  number,  is  here  given. 
As  it  is  chiefly  occupied  with  the  methods  by  which  the  mis- 
sionary sought  to  combat  the  superstitions  of  the  people  in  the 
matter  of  dreams,  it  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  whole  subject  by 
introducing  here  an  extract  from  chapter  IX  of  the  Relations 
for  1656,  which  among  other  curious  details  of  the  customs  and 
life  of  these  people,  contains  the  following  instances,  showing 


96 

the  c-stimalc  in  which  dreams  were  held  as  authoritative  revela- 
tions of  the  divine  will.  They  are  narrated  by  Father  Joseph 
Chaumonot  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  accompanied  Menard 
to  Cayuga  at  the  first  establishment  of  the  mission  at  that  i)lace 

in  1656. 

It  is  not  lonn  since  that  a  man  of  the  bourg  oi  Cayuaga  dream- 
ed one  night  that  he  saw  ten   men  plunge   into  a  frozen  liver, 
through  a  hole  in  the  ice,  and  all  come  out  at  a  similar  opening, 
a  little  way  beyond.     The  first  thing  he  did,  on  awakening  from 
his  sleep,  was  to  make  a  great  feast,  to  which  he  invited  ten  of 
his  friends.     They  all  came.     It  was  a  joyous  occasion.     They 
sang;  they  danced,  and  went  through  all  the  ceremonies  of  a 
regular  bancpiet.     'This  is  all   well  enough,'  at  length  said  the 
host ;  '  you  give  me  great  pleasure,  my  brothers,  that  you  enjoy 
my  feast.     Hut  this  is  not  all.     You  must  prove  to  me  that  you 
love  me.'     ■i'hereui)on  he  recounted  his  dream,  which  did  not 
appear  to  surprise  them ;  for  immediately  the  whole  ten  offered 
themselves  for  its  prompt  execution.     One  goes  to  the  river  and 
cuts  in  the  ice  two  holes,  fifteen  paces  from  each  other ;  and 
the  divers  strip  themselves.     The  first  leads  the  way,  and  plung- 
ing into  one  of  the  holes,  he  fortunately  comes  out  at  the  other. 
'l"he  second  does  the  same ;  and  so  all  of  them  until  the  tenth, 
who  pays  his  life  for  the  others,  as  he  misses  the  way  out  and 
miserably  perishes  under  the  ice. 

In  the  same  boitrir  of  Cayuga  there  happened  an  occurrence 
which  produced  a  great  excitement  throughout  the  canton.  A 
man  dreaming  that  he  had  made  a  cannibal  feast,  invites  all  the 
chiefs  of  the  nation  to  assemble  in  council,  as  he  has  somethmg 
of  great  importance  to  communicate.  Being  assembled,  he  tells 
them  that  it  has  fallen  to  him  to  have  a  dream,  which  if  he  did 
not  execute  would  cost  the  ruin  of  the  nation,  and  with  its  over- 
throw a  general  destruction  over  the  whole  earth.  He  goes  on 
at  some  length  with  the  matter;  and  then  gives  an  opportu- 
nity for  any  one  to  interpret  his  dream.  No  person  ventures  to 
divine  its  meaning;  until  finally,  one  hardly  believing  that  it 


27 


alive  revcla- 
atlicr  Joseph 
nied  Menard 
at  that  phice 

i^uaga  dream- 
frozen  liver, 
lihir  opening, 
akening  from 
nvited  ten  of 
asion.     They 
remonies  of  a 
tigth  said  the 
lat  you  enjoy 
)  me  that  you 
vhich  did  not 
)le  ten  offered 
the  river  and 
h  other ;  and 
ly,  and  phing- 
t  at  the  other, 
intil  the  tenth, 
way  out  and 

an  occurrence 
he  canton.  A 
,  invites  all  the 
has  something 
rnhled,  he  tells 
ivhich  if  he  did 
d  with  its  over- 
1.  He  goes  on 
2S  an  opportu- 
son  ventures  to 
ilieving  that  it 


can  be  so,  says :  "  Thou  li-sirest  to  make  a  feast  of  a  man.  Take 
my  brother.  He  hold  I  plate  him  hctiveen  thy  hands.'  Cut  him  in 
pieces  !  Put  him  into  the  kettle!"  Terror  seized  all  present,  ex- 
cei)t  the  dreamer  himself,  who  replied  that  his  dream  demand- 
ed a  woman  !  Whereupon,  such  was  their  superstition,  they 
took  a  young  maiden  and  adorned  her  pers(m  with  all  the  riches 
of  the  country,  with  l)ra<elets,  and  collars  and  coronets;  indeed 
with  every  variety  of  ornament  in  use  among  women,  even  as 
they  are  wont  to  decorate  their  sacrificial  victims;  and  thus 
this  poor  innocent,  in  ignorance  of  the  meaning  of  this  profuse 
adornment,  was  led  to  the  |)lace  designated  for  the  sa<:rifice. 
All  the  people  came  together  to  witness  the  strange  si)eclacle, 
and  the  guests  took  their  places.  The  victim  was  brought  into 
the  centre  of  the  circle  and  placed  between  the  hands  of  the 
sacrificer,  the  one  on  whose  account  this  offering  was  to  be 
made.  He  receives  her,  and  regarding  intently  the  innocent 
one,  has  compassion  upon  her ;  and  as  all  are  looking  for  him 
to  deal  the  death  stroke,  he  cries  on':  "/  am  content;  my 
dream  is  satisfied !"  Is  it  not,  adds  hv.  missionary  Father,  a 
great  charity  to  open  the  eyes  of  a  people  imposed  upon  by 
such  absurd  errors.? 

In  resuming  the  translation  of  Father  de  Carheil's  letter,  it 
is  only  necessary  to  remind  t'-e  reader  that  it  was  written  from 
Cayuga  under  date  of  June,  1670. 

In  arranging  for  my  first  catechetical  exercise,  and  apprehen- 
sive that  none  would,  of  their  own  accord,  respond  in  public,  I 
drilled  before  hand  some  of  the  children  more  particularly,  as 
an  example  to  the  others  of  the  manner  I  would  have  them  an- 
swer the  questions.  But  I  was  taken  by  surprise  when  I  saw 
three  or  four  women,  among  the  more  aged,  nse  on  their  fee*^ 
to  anticipate  the  children  in  their  responses.  After  the  first 
day  we  counted  eighty-eight  persons  present,  besides  a  number 
who  listened  at  the  door.  One  day,  after  explaining  the  crea- 
tion of  the  world  and  the  number  of  years  we  count  since  the 
beginning  to  our  time,  and  in  order  that  ti  iy  might  the  more 


^  t 


38 

readily  comi)rehcnd  the  matter,  1  had  marked  some  small  stones, 
to  prevent  confusion  and  aid  them  to  repeat  the  computation, 
when  a  warrior  rust:  all  at  once  in  his  place  and  faithfully  re- 
hearsed all  that  I  had  said;  but  he  did  not  fail  to  demand,  by 
way  of  reward,  the  same  prize  that  I  gave  to  the  children. 

1   have  earnestly   combatted  their  superstitions,  particularly 
the  divine  authority  they  attribute  to  dreams,  which  may  be 
said  to  be  the  foundation  of  all  their  errors,  as  it  is  the  soul  of 
their  religion.     I   have  nevertheless   recognized   two   things  m 
my  efforts  to  combat  it.     First,  that  it  is  not  properly  the  dream 
that  they  worship  as  the  master  of  their  life,  but  a  certain  one  of 
the  genii,  they  call  Agatkonchona,  who,  they  believe,  speak  to 
them  in  sleep  and  command  them  to  obey  implicitly  their  dreams. 
The  principal  one  of  these  spirits  is  Taronhiaononagon,  whom 
they  recognize  i  s  a  divinity  and  obey  as  the  supreme  master  of 
their  life  ;  and  when  they  speak  of  a  dream  as  divine  they  only 
mean  that  it  is  by  means  of  it  they  know  the  will  of  God,  and 
what  is  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  their  life ;  and  further- 
more that  the  actual  doing  of  the  things  they  had  seen  in  a  dream, 
contributes  to  promote  their  health  and  happiness.     They  also 
sometimes  give  the  name  of  the  master  of  their  life  to  the  object 
of  their  dream,  as  for  example  to  the  skin  of  a  bear,  or  to  simi- 
lar things  which  they  have  seen  in  their  sleep ;  and  because  they 
regard  them  as  charms  to  which  God  has  attached  the  good  for- 
tune of  a  long  life.     Thus  they  take  special  care  to  preserve 
them  with  this  view,  and  when  they  are  sick  cover  themselves 
with  them,  or  place  them  near  their  persons  as  a  defence  against 
the  attacks  of  disease. 

The  second  thing  I  have  recognized  in  combatting  the  obedi- 
ence they  render  to  their  dreams,  is  that  they  are  not  able  to 
understand  how  the  soul  acts  during  shq)  in  thus  representing 
to  them  objects  distant,  and  absent,  as  if  near  and  present. 
They  persuade  themselves  that  the  soul  quits  the  body  during 
sleep,  and  that  it  goes  of  itself,  in  search  of  the  things  dreamed, 
and  to  the  places  where  they  see  them,  and  it  returns  into  the 


M 


small  stones, 
omputation, 
faithfully  re- 

dcmand,  by 
lildren. 

particularly 
\ich  may  be 
is  the  soul  of 
t/o   things  in 
rly  the  dream 
certain  one  of 
eve,  speak  to 
their  dreams, 
nagon,  whom 
;me  master  of 
ine  they  only 

of  God,  and 
;  and  further- 
en  in  a  dream, 
s.  They  also 
e  to  the  object 
:ar,  or  to  simi- 
1  because  they 
i  the  good  for- 
re  to  preserve 
fer  themselves 
lefence  against 

ting  the  obedi- 
re  not  able  to 
IS  representing 
r  and  present, 
e  body  during 
[lings  dreamed, 
etums  into  the 


body  toward  the  end  of  night,  when  all  dreams  arc  dissipated. 
To  refute  errors  so  gross,  I  proposed  to  them  three  cpiestions. 

First:  I  demanded  of  them,  whether  the  body  of  the  p'.rson 
while  in  the  act  of  dreaming  was  dead  or  alive  .'  it  is  alive, 
they  said.  It  is  the  soul  then  I  replied  that  makes  one  live, 
and  if  it  were  absent  from  the  body,  the  body  would  be  dead, 
and  so  it  cannot  be  true  that  the  soul  leaves  the  body  during 
sleep. 

Second  :  Tell  me,  I  said,  is  it  with  the  eyes  that  we  see  the 
things  which  appear  to  us  in  our  dreams;  as  for  example  an 
enemy  who  comes  to  attack  me  ;  a  friend  whom  I  meet  on  the 
path  ;  a  deer  which  I  am  pursuing  in  the  chase.'  it  cannot  be, 
with  the  eyes,  they  replied,  that  we  see  them,  for  during  sleep 
our  eyes  are  closed  and  covered  with  darkness,  they  see  noth- 
ing. It  is  our  soul  then,  I  said,  that  causes  us  to  see  at  the 
time,  what  we  see  m  our  dreams,  and  consequently  it  is  as  neces- 
sary that  it  should  be  present  with  us,  and  in  our  body  while  we 
sleep,  as  for  our  eyes  to  be  in  our  head,  in  their  ordinary  place, 
when  by  means  of  them  we  see  the  objects  which  present  them- 
selves during  the  day. 

My  third  question  was  this  :  If  the  soul  jleaves  the  body  dur- 
ing sleep,  where  does  it  go.'  Does  it  go  unto  the  enemy's 
country.'  Doi  it  go  on  the  chase  in  the  forest.'  What  is  it 
doing  while  absent.'  Have  you  ever  found,  on  waking,  the 
scalp  the  soul  put  into  your  hands,  bringing  it  to  you  frojn  the 
war .'  Or  the  bear  upon  your  mat,  that  the  soul  has  killed  for 
you  while  you  were  asleep .'  Often  at  the  same  moment  I  see 
myself  in  France,  on  the  other  side  of  the  great  water,  and  here 
among  you.  Is  my  soul  at  the  same  time  here  and  in  France  ? 
They  had  no  reply;  to  these  questions  and  stood  convicted  of 
their  errors. 

It  is  not  so  easy,  however,  to  make  them  understand  the  phi- 
losophy of  dreams,  in  which  things  that  impress  themselves  upon 
the  imagination  are  present  to  the  mind  in  sleep,  in  the  same 
manner  in   which  the  images  of  the  objects  we  see  represent 


30 


themselves  to  the  senses.     I  have  always  endeavored  to  explain 
in  as  clear  a  manner  as  possible  these  things,  hy  comparing  the 
mind  with  itself,  when  it  simply  recalls  by  an  act  of  memory  dis- 
tant scenes,  and  when  in  a  dream  it  only  imagines  what  appears 
to  be  present.     You  know  well  I  said,  that  during  the  day   ov.r 
soul  remembers  what  occurred  some  time  ago,  and  in  |>laces 
very  far  off.     Is  it  not  true  that  even  now  it  |)resents  the  coun- 
try of  the  Andestogues,  Outaouaks,  Quebec  and  Montreal,  to 
those  of  you  who  have  been  there,  as  if  you  were  there  now  ? 
Your  soul  has  not  left  your  body  to  go  to  any  of  these  places, 
for  you  are  still  alive ;  it  has  not  passed  the  great  river,  nor 
made  any  journey.     The  same  thing  occurs  in  dreams  during 
the  night.     But  again  I  said  to  them  why  should  the  mere  rep- 
resentations  of  objects  which  are  in    the  mind  while  we  are 
asleep,  be  the  masters  of  our  lives  rather  than  the  images  of  the 
sr.me  objects  which  are  depicted  in  the  same  mind  while  awake? 
For  this,  which  is  called  a  memory  during  the  day,  is  called  a 
dream,  if  it  occur  in  the  night. 

I  then  asked  them  if  children  not  yet  born  had  not  some  one 
who  was  master  of  their  life  ?     They  said  yes.     Now  it  is  not 
possible,  I  replied,  that  this  should  be  a  dream,  for  as  yet  it  is  not 
possible  for  them  to  have  a  dream.     In  fact  of  what  could  they 
dream?     Of  knives,  hatchets,  swords,  or  the  like  things  ?    They 
have  never  seen  any.     It  cannot  be  a  dream  that  is  the  master 
of  their  life  before  birth,  nor  even  a  long  time  after  they  come 
into  the  world,  since  it  is  some  years  before  they  have  dreams. 
It  is  necessary  then  that  they  should  have  some  other  master 
of  their  life,  and  another  god  than  the  dream,  for  all  this  while. 
But  when  they  begin  to  dream,  it  cannot  be  that  the  one  who 
was  formerly  the  master  of  their  life  should  cease  to  be  such. 
None  would  know  how  to  displace  him,  not  rob  of  this  quality 
and  this  power  that  he  exercised  over  this  infant  before  he  be- 
gan to  dream.     He  continues  then  to  be  the  same  as  before, 
and  thus  he  is  their  master  before  their  birth,  and  when  as  yet 
they  have  had  no  dreams.     He  is  their  master  after  their  birth 


at 


ed  to  expl.iin 
omparing  the 
memory  dis- 
what  a) ) pears 
;  the  day   ov.r 
ind  in  places 
;nts  the  coun- 
Montreal,  to 
e  there  now  ? 
these  places, 
eat  river,  nor 
reams  during 
the  mere  rep- 
while  we  are 
images  of  the 
while  awake? 
ay,  is  called  a 

not  some  one 
Now  it  is  not 

as  yet  it  is  not 
^lat  could  they 
things  ?  'I'hey 
t  is  the  master 
fter  they  come 
f  have  dreams, 
i  other  master 
■  all  this  while, 
t  the  one  who 
se  to  he  such, 
of  this  quality 
t  before  he  be- 
ime  as  before, 
nd  when  as  yet 
ifter  their  birth 


and  when  they  begin  to  dream.  lie  is  etjually  such  in  the  time 
of  their  youth,  and  of  their  old  age  :  in  fad  to  their  death,  and 
even  after  their  death.  And  know  that  this  Master  whose  pow 
er  is  immutable  and  eternal  is  the  (lod  whom  we  adore  and 
who  will  recompense  all  of  us  according  to  our  deeds.  It  is 
not  the  dream,  which,  as  your  own  exjierience  has  often  told 
you,  only  imjjoses  upon  you  impious  and  unreasonable  demands, 
and  which  has  deceived  you  a  htmdred  times  in  the  <  ourse  of 
your  lives. 

These  barbarians  show  that  they  are  capnl)le  of  listening  to 
reason  and  of  i)erceiving  its  light  in  all  its  purity;  for  stmie  of 
them,  now  that  they  are  enlightened,  declare  that  they  were 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  what  I  had  said  to  them  and  have 
since  renounced  these  vain  superstitions. 

'I'he  inclinations  of  these  people  (mly  |)ronipt  them  to  engage 
in  the  chase  or  in  war.  They  form  into  parties  of  twenty,  thir- 
ty, fifty,  a  hundred,  sometimes  two  hundred,— rarely  do  they 
amount  to  a  thousand  in  a  single  trooi) ;  and  these  bands  divide 
in  pursuit  Ih'e  one  of  men,  and  the  other  of  beasts.  They  make 
war  more  as  robbers  than  as  soldiers,  and  their  expeditions  are 
rather  surprises  than  regular  battles.  Their  chief  glory  is  in  re- 
turning accompanied  by  captives  of  men,  women  and  children, 
or  laden  with  the  scalps  of  those  whom  they  have  slain  in  the 
fight. 

As  for  the  rest,  one  can  only  say  that  there  are  no  greater  ob- 
stacles to  the  success  of  our  missions  than  the  victories  they 
obtain  over  their  enemies,  which  only  renders  them  insolent; 
and  that  there  is  nothing  more  desirable  for  the  advancement 
of  Christianity  in  this  country  than  the  humiliation  of  their 
spirits,  which  breathe  only  blood  and  carnage;  which  glory  in 
killing  and  burning  their  fellowmen  and  whose  brutal  disposi- 
tion is  so  directly  opposed  to  the  pure  and  gentle  heart  of  Je- 
sus Christ. 

We  have  passed  the  last  winter  quite  peaceably,  and  without 
the  alarm  into  which,  ordinarily,  the   incursions  of  the   Andas- 


X  \ 


M 

togues  who  have  been  long  enemies  of  this  nation   have  orca- 
sioned  us.     lUit  last  Auliinin  they  sent  a  messenger  with  three 
wampum  belts  to  treat  for  jteace.     He  had  been  until  the  month 
of  Mart  h  awaiting  a  re|)ly  in  order  to   return   home.     Hut  the 
Onondagas  having  made  war    with  the   An(histogues  this  las* 
winter,  and  having  taken  from  them  eight  or   nine  prisoners, 
presented  two  of  them  to  the   inhabitants  of  Cayuga  with  forty 
belts  of  wampum  to  intbu  e  them   to  continue   the  war  agamst 
the  eommon   enemy.     Immediately  after  this,  they   broke   the 
head  of  the  unfortunate  messenger  whon>  they  had  detained  for 
five  or  six  month.s,  and  who  believed  himself  to  be  on  the  eve 
of  his  departure.     His  body  wis  buried  after  his  death,  and  a 
nephew  of  his,  who  hail  accompanied  him  shared  the  same  fate 
at  the  hands  of  these  savages,  who  care  but  little  for  the  rights 
of  their  fellow  men,  and  who  keep  faith  no  further  than  it  serves 
their  own  interests.     We  can  truly  say  that  we  are  among  them 
as  i)eri>etual  victims,  since  there  is  no  day  in  which  we  are  not 
in  danger  of  being  massacred.     lUit  this  also  is  our  greatest  joy, 
and  the  spring  of  our  purest  consolation. 


NO.   VI. 

In  the  Relations  for  1670-1,  we  find  an  interesting  account  of 
the  conversion  and  baptism  of  Saonchiogwan,  the  chief  of  the 
Cayugas,  who  stood  next  to  Garacontie,  of  the  Onondagas,  m 
esteem  and  influence  among  the  lro<iuois.  The  event  took 
place  in  Quebec  and  was  attended  with  marked  solemnities. 
In  the  spring  of  167 1,  a  Seneca  embassy  was  sent  to  Quebec, 
headed  by  Saonchiogwan,  to  restore  some  I'oltawatamies,  whom 
the  braves  of  that  canton  had  surprised  in  violation  of  peace. 
The  Relations  proceed  to  say  thai  as  soon  as  Saonchiogwan  ar- 
rived at  Quebec,  he  labored  incessantly  to  ac(iuit  himself  of  the 
commission  with  which  ;he  was  charged  by  the  Senecas.  He 
held  a  council  with  the  (lovernor,  and  placed  in  his  hands  the 
eight  captives,  with  earnest  protestations  on  the  part  of  the 


;i;i 


»  have  occa- 
cr  with  three 
til  the  month 
me.  lUit  the 
;ueK  this  las* 
ne  prisoners, 
iga  with  forty 
:  war  against 
jy  l)rokc  the 
1  detained  for 
l)c  on  tlie  eve 

death,  and  a 
the  same  fate 

for  the  rights 
than  it  serves 
L'  among  them 
ch  we  are  not 
ir  greatest  joy. 


ing  account  of 
le  chief  of  the 
Onondagas,  in 
he  event  took 
;d  solemnities, 
nt  to  Quebec, 
atamies,  whom 
tion  of  peace. 
)nchiogwan  ar- 
t  himself  of  the 
Senecas.  He 
1  his  hands  the 
he  part  of  the 


Senecas  of  Huhmission  and  ohedienc  e  to  all  his  orders.  The 
('•overnor  entertained  him  and  his  suite,  and  all  things  being 
<  oncluded  with  testimonials  of  satisfaction  on  both  sides,  the 
Chief  «;oncentraled  all  his  energies  upon  the  important  matter 
of  his  salvation,  to  the  exclusion  of  every  other  subject.  He 
had  an  earnest  conference  with  Father  Chaumonot  then  in 
charge  of  the  Huron*Mission.  It  was  not  necessary  to  devote 
nun:h  time  for  his  instruction  and  enlightenment  in  the  knowl- 
edge of  our  holy  my.steries.  He  had  been  well  informed  <on- 
cerning  them  for  more  than  fifteen  years,  even  from  our  first 
arrival  in  their  <  ountry,  when  it  was  his  good  fortime  to  be 
present  in  the  distinguished  council  of  the  Five  Nations  at  On- 
ondaga, which  Father  Chaumonot  addressed,  for  two  entire 
hours,  in  explanation  of  the  principal  articles  of  our  faith.  I'his 
Father  was  I  sten"d  to  with  a  silent  and  wrapt  attention,  that 
was  very  m  ticeable,  particularly  in  the  countenance  and  eyes 
of  our  Catci  humen.  The  Chiefs  of  the.se  nations,  each  in  his 
turn,  repeated,  according  to  their  custom,  the  discourse  of  the 
Father,  but  he  did  this  more  eloquently  than  all  the  others. 
Beside  he  has  had  the  advantage  of  having  been  the  host  of 
Fathers  Rene  Menard  and  Stephen  de  Carheil,  who  formed  and 
nurtured  in  his  nation  the  church  of  St.  Joseph.  He  had 
the  good  fortune  to  share  in  all  the  instructions,  general  and  per- 
sonal, of  these  Apostolic  men.  He  had  conversed  familiarly 
with  them,  and  been  a  witness,  day  and  night,  of  their  labors, 
cares  and  indefatigable  zeal.  He  had  seen  the  marvelous  con- 
versions among  his  compatriots  and  of  those  in  his  own  neigh- 
borhood, who  had  embraced  the  faith  and  made  a  public  pro- 
fession of  the  same.  But  all  these  favors  of  heaven  only  serv- 
ed at  the  time  to  convince  him  of  the  vanity  of  their  supersti- 
tious customs,  and  of  the  superiority  of  our  holy  religion,  with- 
out making  any  efficacious  impression  on  his  heart,  or  induc- 
ing him  to  abandon  the  vices  common  to  savage  life.  Besides, 
the  spirit  he  manifested,  which  appeared  to  us  crafty  politic, 
adroit  and  complaisant,  compelled  Us  to  wait  upon  divine  mer- 


:»l 


,  y,  l..r  ;i  more  favoral.lr  moment  l<.  «»|.cm  U;   him  ll>c  iloor  of 
salvation  in  holy  baptisni. 

In  fine,  this  moment,  so  mtic  h  <lesire<l.  seemed  t«  hilve  eome 
with  this  o((,aKi(m.     He  ..peneil  his  heart  to    hather  Chaiimo- 
not,  ile(  hiring  in   sm  h  satisfac  tory  terms  his   res<.lution  to  Imj  a 
Christian,  and  to  rcnounc  e  n.rcver  all  the  customs  of  his  coun- 
try not  in  ronformily  with  the  holy  precepts  of  the  C.ospel,  that 
the  l-alher  was  fully  persuaded  that  he   spoke  from   his  heart. 
Likewise  our    Lord  liish..p,  thoroughly   informed  of  the  whole 
case,  deen.ed  it  unnecessary  to   ^^ithhold  any  longer  the  grace 
of  l)ai)ti.im.      lie  was  pleased,  therefore,  to   ( onler  with  his  own 
hand  this  sa-rament;  and    M.   lahm,  the   Intendant,  gave  hun 
the  name  of  Louis.     The  ceremony  was  attended   with  all  pos- 
sihie  solenmity,  and  ( onduded  with  a  magnificent  feast  which 
the  Intendant  caused  to  l.e  i>repared  in   In-half  ..f  the  new  con- 
vert, allowing  him  the   liberty   to   invite   all  whom  he  desired. 
Ihe   Iroquois,  Algomiuins  and   Hurons,  were  present  in   large 
numbers;  and  yet  so  bountiful  was  the  provision,  that  after  hav- 
ing   partaken   abundantly,  they  carried   away  enough  to   feast 
those  who  remained  to  guard  the  cabins. 

Ihe  following  letter  from  Father  de  Carheil  is  the  last  from 
him  given  in  the  Jiclntions.  He  was  obliged  to  relin.piish  his  la- 
bors with  this  mission  for  a  year,  for  the  recovery  of  his  health, 
during  whi<h  time  his  place  was  supplied  by  Father  Raffeix  of 
the  Seneca  M  ission.  I  le  returned  however,  at  the  end  of  the  year 
1672,  and  continued  with  the  mission  until  1684,  but  as  the  Re- 
lations close  with  the  former  date,  we  shall  be  unable,  after  the 
present  letter,  to  follow  him,  as  for  se  /eral  previous  years,  in 
the  detail  of  his  work.  He  writes  of  the  condition  of  the  Mis- 
sion of  St.  Joseph  at  Cayuga  for  1671,  as  follows  : 

The  recent  progress  of  Christianity,,  in  the  advancement  of 
the  faith  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  being  all  the  consolation 
your  Reverence  expects  each  year  from  our  missions,  I  know 
not  how  to  give  you  greater  joy  than  to  inform  you  of  the 
growth  of  this  church,  in  the  number  of  souls  regenerated  in 


86 


III  ihc   door  of 

to  hiVvf  I  iniu' 
tlur  (;iKUimo- 
iliition  to  be  a 
IS  of  his  coim- 
u-  (losjicl,  tliat 
oiii   liis  heart. 
1  of  the  whole 
nucr  the  ^racc 
•r  with  his  own 
ilaiit,  nave  him 
(1   with  all  i»os- 
.•nt  feast  which 
f  the  new  <  on- 
jin  he  desired, 
resent  in  large 
,  that  after  hav- 
nough  to   feast 

is  the  last  from 
L-lin(iuish  his  la- 
ry  of  his  health, 
[ither  Raffeix  of 
;  end  of  the  year 
\,  hut  as  the  Nf- 
unable,  after  the 
evious  years,  in 
tion  of  the  Mis- 
■s  : 

advancement  of 
the  consolation 
missions,  I  know 
form  you  of  the 
i  regenerated  in 


in  the  waters  of  l)aptism  or  rendere«l  eternally  happy  by  a  saint- 
ly <Ieath.  If  the  salvation  of  a  single  soul  is  a  source  of  great- 
er ( Diisolation  than  all  the  most  illustrious  ac  hievements  of 
earth,  I  ti  list  that  sixty-two  to  whom  I  have  given  the  life  of 
grace,  and  thirly-two  who  have  gone  to  live  in  glory,  will  give 
this  abundant  joy.  The  greater  |)art  of  those  who  died  after 
baptism  were  children,  whose  age  allows  of  no  dmibt  c onccrii- 
iiig  their  happiness.  'I'he  others  were  adults,  whose  disposition 
leads  me  to  believe  that  they  obtained  by  their  voluntary  sub- 
mission to  gra(  e,  that  which  these  little  innocents  received  as 
the  sole  efTei  t  of  the  sa(  rament. 

Without  stopping  to  treat  of  each  parti(  iilar  «ase,  the  one  that 
has  a|)peared  to  me  the  clearest,  is  that  of  a  young  woman  of 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age.  She  was  of  an  admirable  tem- 
per, and  of  such  sweetness  of  disposition,  so  entirely  dev<iid  of 
the  savage,  that  she  appeared  more  like  one  nurtured  in  France 
than  in  a  country  of  barbarians.  Hefore  her  baptism,  she  was 
frecpient  at  prayers,  and  often  leading  at  her  side  her  little 
daughter  four  or  five  years  of  age.  'This,  doubtless,  had  its  in- 
flueni  e  in  disposing  her  the  more  reailily  to  receive  the  gra(  e 
of  baptism.  While  still  under  the  impression  of  Christian  truth, 
which  little  by  little,  found  its  way  into  her  mind,  she  fell  sick, 
and  in  this  state  I  found  her  on  my  round  of  visits  through  the 
/w«^,(,^  She  begged  me  to  have  |)ity  on  her,  and  give  her  some 
medicine  that  would  cure  her.  I  gave  her  the  medicine,  and 
improved  the  f)i)porliinity  to  instruct  her  in  all  our  mysteries, 
and  more  especially  of  the  necessity  of  baptism.  She  appeared 
to  listen  with  i)leasure  to  what  I  said  of  the  nature  and  value 
of  the  sacrament.  She  would  readily  have  allowed  me  to  put  a 
little  water  on  her  head,  if  by  that  means  she  might  be  eternal- 
ly happy  ;  and  had  1  demanded  nothing  besides,  would  have 
been  quite  disposed  to  receive  baptism.  But,  when  I  added 
that  the  simple  application  of  water  was  not  sufficient  to  obtain 
for  us  eternal  ha|)piness  or  to  exempt  us  from  endless  pains  ; 
that  it  was  necessary,  besides,  to  know  the  sins  one  had  com- 


* 


36 

mitted;  to  have  a  true  sense  of  sorrow  on  account  of  them,  and 
firmly  resolve  never  to  repeat  them— it  was  then  that  her  heart, 
which  before   had  hope,  felt  opposition  and   resistance.     She 
drew  a  deep  sigh,  cast  a  glance  of  her  eye  toward  me,  turned 
away  and  hid  her  face,  thus  compelling  me  to  say  no  more  thun 
she  was  willing  to  hear.     At  this  moment,  a  woman  of  her  cab- 
in having  entered  to  oppose  my  farther  instructions,  I  was  con- 
strained to  retire.    •  .  . 
Three  days  passed  away  before  she  would  allow  me  to  visit 
her  for  this  purpose.     In  the  meanwhile  her  malady  increased, 
and  excited  in  me  the  earne  'ness  necessary  to  her  salvation, 
which  at  length  had  its  effect.     As  all  these  repulses  came  from 
the  opposition  of  her  will  to  an  enlightened  conscience,  the  fre- 
quent visits  I  made  her,  and  the  desire   I  manifested  for  her 
eternal  welfare,  together  with  the  near  approach  of  death  soft- 
ened her  heart  and  changed  its  opposition  into  love. 

One  morning  as  1  was  visiting  her  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
some  further  remedies,  with  the  ordinary   signs  of  compassion 
for  her,  which  could  avail  but  little,  as  her  end  was  near,  she 
begged  me  to  give  her  all  the  comfort  within  my  powiir.     This 
confidence  on  her  part  gave  me  the  opportunity  to  speak  to  her 
again  of  baptism.     I  found  that  all  her  opposition  had  vanished  ; 
and  whatever  difficulty  she  had  experienced  in  cherishing  sor- 
row for  sin,  and  a  haired  for  the  things  to  which  she  was  at. 
tached  by  inclination  and  habit,  God  had  permitted  it,  only  to 
cspose  her  to  exercise  her  repentance  with  the  greater  efficacy 
and  sincerity,  and  assurance  of  her  salvation.     Indeed,  when  I 
came  to  speak  to  her  the  second  time  of  the  necessity  that  she 
should  abhor  her  sins  which  I  indicated,  and  asked  her  if  she 
did  not  detest  them,  as  Ood  would  have  her,  to  the  end  that 
they  might  be  washed  away  in  baptism,  I  saw  that  her  whole 
demeanor  was  changed,  and  the  pain  I  felt  on  her  first  refusal 
to   repent  was  recomi.ensed  by   the   greater  joy.     She  joined 
her  heart  and  tongue  lo  this  word  of  penitence  ;  she  pronounc- 
ed it ;  she  repeated  it  lo  herself  many  times  with  an  inexpressi- 


'■~-- — '•■  "••- 


t  of  them,  and 
;hat  her  heart, 
iistance.  She 
rd  me,  turned 
no  more  thun 
m  of  her  cab- 
ns,  I  was  con- 

>w  me  to  visit 
idy  increased, 

her  salvation, 
Ises  came  from 
:ience,  the  fre- 
fested  for  her 
of  death  soft- 
3ve. 

pose  of  giving 
of  compassion 

was  near,  she 
r  powi;r.  This 
to  speak  to  her 
1  had  vanished ; 
cherishing  sor- 
ch  she  was  at. 
itted  it,  only  to 
greater  efficacy 
Indeed,  when  I 
cessity  that  she 
,sked  her  if  she 
o  the  end  that 
that  her  whole 
\er  first  refusal 
)y.  She  joined 
;  she  pronounc- 
h  an  inexpressi- 


B7 

ble  tenderness  which  penetrated  the  depths  of  my  soul,  and  ail 
that  I  can  say  is,  that  one  must  have  heard  it  to  understand  it. 
After  this  I  no  longer  doubted  that  she  was  of  the  number  of 
the  elect. 

I  baptized  her  after  a  suitable  prayer,  in  which  she  followed 
me,  including  all  the  acts  appropriate  to  prepare  her  for  death. 
When  she  saw  that  I  drew  near  to  bajjtize  her,  she  presented  her 
head  to  receive  the  water  with  such  a  subdued  expression  of 
countenance,  that  the  work  of  grace  was  visibly  manifest.  1  re- 
mained after  baptism  no  longer  tiian  was  needful  to  give  her 
the  assurance  of  eternal  felicity,  and  have  her  repeat  the  I'ray- 
ers;  and  shortly  after  I  had  retired,  she  rendered  her  soul  to 
Him  who  had  sanctified  it. 

— The  next  number  will  contain  the  narrative  of  Father  Raf- 
feix,  who  occupied  the  mission  at  Cayuga  for  a  year  during  the 
absence  of  Father  de  Carheil,  and,  with  some  additicmal  items 
in  its  history  will  close  this  series  of  articles. 

NO.  VII. 

The  present  number,  which  concludes  this  series,  contains 
the  letter  of  Father  Peter  RafTeix,  in  whose  charge  the  Mission 
of  St.  Joseph  at  Cayuga  was  placed,  during  the  absence  of  Fa- 
ther de  Carheil,  for  a  year,  on  account  of  his  health.  RafTeix 
was  chaplain  of  the  French  Expedition  against  the  Mohawks 
in  1665,  and,  at  the  time  of  his  taking  the  Cayuga  Mission,  was 
laboring  among  the  Senecas,  with  whom  he  resumed  his  work,  on 
the  return  of  de  Carheil,  and  continued  among  them  until  1680. 
His  familiarity  with  the  several  canlons  of  the  Irocpiois,  gives 
interest  to  the  comparison  he  here  makes  between  the  Cayugas, 
and  the  other  four  nations  of  the  confederacy. 

The  letter  bears  date  June  24th,  1672,  and  is  translated  from 
Chapter  vi,  Part  I,  of  the  Relations,  167 1-2  : 

Cayuga  is  the  most  beautiful  country  I  have  seen  in  America. 
It  is  situated  in  latitude  42^,  and  the  needle  dips  scarcely  more 


88 

than  ten  degrees.     It  lies  between   two  lakes,  and  is  no  more 
than  four  leagues  wide,  with  almost  continuous  plains,  bordered 

by  fine  forests. 

Agnie  (Mohawk)  is  a  valley  very  contracted ;  for  the  most 
part  stony,  and  always  covered  with  fogs;  the  hills  that  enclos-., 
it  appear  to  me  very  bad  land. 

Oneida  and  Onondaga  appear  too  rough  and  little  adapted 
to  the  chase,  as  well  as  Seneca.  More  than  a  thousand  deer 
are  killed  every  year  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cayuga. 

Fishing  for  both  the  salmon  and  the  eel,  and  for  other  sorts 
of  fish,  is  as  abundant  as  at  Onondaga.      Four  leagues   distant 
from  here,  on  the  brink  of  the  river  (Seneca),  I  have  seen,  with- 
in a  small  space,  eight  or  ten  fine  salt  fountains.      It   is   there 
that  numbers  of  nets  are    pread  for  pigeons,  and  from  seven  to 
eight  hundred  are  often  caught  at  a  single  stroke  of  the  net. 
•  Lake  Tiohero,  adjacent  to  the  village,  is   fourteen  leagues  long 
by  one  or  two  wide.     It  abounds  with  swan  and  geese  through 
the  winter;  and  in   the  spring,  nothing  is  seen   but  continual 
clouds  of  all  sorts  of  game.     The  river  Ochouegen  (Oswego) 
which  rises  in  this  lake  soon  branches  into  several   channels, 
surrounding  prairies,  with  here  and  there  fine  and  attractive  bays 
of  sufficient  extent  for  the  preservation  of  hunting. 

I  find  the  people  of  Cayuga  more  tractable  and  less  fierce 
than  theOnondigas  or  Oneidas;  an-l  had  (^.od  humiliated  them, 
as  have  been  the  Mohawks,  I  think  hat  the  Faith  would  have 
been  more  readily  established  amon^  them  than  with  any  other 
of  the  nations  of  the  Iro.juois.  They  count  more  than  three 
hundred  warriors  and  a  prodigious  swarm  of  little  children. 

As  to  the  spiritual,  and  that  which  appertains  to  the  Mission, 
I  hardly  know  what  to  say.  God  having  withdrawn  from  it, 
first  Father  Menard  at  the  commencement  of  his  successful  la- 
bors, and  since  then,  for  nearly  a  year.  Father  de  Carheil,  after 
he  had  mastered  the  the  language,  and  favorably  disposed  the 
hearts  of  these  barbarians  toward  their  salvation,  I  cannot  think 
that  the  hour  of  their  conversion  has  yet  arrived.     In  order  to 


1  is  no  more 
ins,  bordered 

for  the  most 
i  that  enclos'.. 

ittlc  adapted 
housand  deer 
ga. 

jT  Other  sorts 
agues  distant 
ve  seen,  with- 
it  is  there 
from  seven  to 
;e  of  the  net. 
\  leagues  Umg 
geese  through 
but  continual 
gen  (Oswego) 
eral  channels, 
attractive  bays 

;ind  less  fierce 
imilialed  them, 
th  would  have 
with  any  other 
ore  than  three 
le  children, 
to  the  Mission, 
drawn  from  it, 
IS  successful  Ki- 
le Carheil,  after 
ly  disposed  the 
,  I  cannot  think 
1.     In  order  to 


3!) 


remove  a  prejudice  to  (Christianity,  created  among  our  catech- 
umens and  neojjhytes,  by  some  slaves,  ca|)tives  from  the  Neuter 
Nation,  and  some  renegade  Hurons,  I  have  introduced  the 
chant  of  the  C'hurch  with  an  arrangement  of  the  several  prayers 
and  hymns,  in  their  language,  pertaining  to  the  mysteries  of  our 
faith.  It  was  on  the  first  day  of  the  year  that  we  presented  for 
a  New  Year's  olTering  to  our  l,ord,  songs  of  [)raise,  which  we 
have  since  continued  with  profit,  and  much  to  the  satisfaction 
of  our  savages. 

I  am  occupied  the  most  of  each  day  in  visiting  the  sick,  to 
give  them  the  proper  instruction,  in  onder  that  they  may  not 
die  without  receiving  baptism.  God  did  not  permit  me  to  suc- 
ceed with  the  first  one  whom  I  visited  on  my  arrival  here,  and 
who  died  soon  after.  I  went  to  see  him  many  times  and  com- 
menced witjj  the  necessary  course  of  instruction.  Hut  his  moth- 
er would  not  i)ermit  it.  One  day,  as  I  remained  with  the  sick 
person  a  longer  time  than  suited  her  mind,  she  seized  a  stick  to 
drive  me  out,  and  her  daughter,  at  the  same  time,  threw  a  large 
stone,  which,  however,  failed  to  hit  me.  I  seized  every  oppor- 
tunity to  make  an  impression.  I  spoke  in  different  interviews 
to  this  wretched  mother,  beseeching  her  to  have  pity  on  her 
son.  Hut  she  remained  inflexible  to  the  last.  Thus  this  poor 
young  man  died  without  baptism,  at  least  the  actual  adminis- 
tration. It  seems  as  if  the  curse  of  God  rested  upon  this  cabin 
— the  same  in  which  Father  de  Carheil  bad  been  treated  with 
still  greater  indignity  than  myself,  and  for  a  like  reason.* 

Some  time  after  this  affliction,  which  greatly  grieved  me,  it 
pleased  God  to  console  me  by  the  conversion  of  a  prisoner  of 
war,  a  young  man  from  twenty  to  twenty-two  years  of  age.  I 
have  never  found  a  savage  more  docile.  They  chopped  off  the 
half  of  one  hand,  and  tore  out  his  finger  nails,  while  a  crowd  of 
people  surrounded  him  oi  all  sides,  and  demanded  that  he 
should  sing  to  them.  In  the  intervals  in  which  they  allowed 
him  to  take  breath,  I  seized  the  occasion  to  instruct  him.     It 


'Letter  of  de  Carheil  in  No.  Ill  of  this  series. 


40 

appeared  in  the  midst  of  all  this  torture,  that  he  retained  the 
presence  of  mind  to  apprtr.iate  the  Christian  truth  that  I  taught 
him.  At  last,  1  was  so  well  satisfied  that  I  baptized  him.  This 
gave  him  such  joy  that  he  publicly  thanked  me,  even  singing  of 
the  love  1  had  shown  him. 

I  count  thirty,  both  children  and  adult.s,  to  whom  God   has 
given  the  same  grace,  since  the  departure  of  Father  de  Carheil. 
I  trust  that  this  trc^p  of  little  innocents  will  move  (lod  at  last, 
by  the  prayers  they  make  to  him,  to  hasten  the  time  for  the 
conversion  of  these  barbarians,  which  as  yet  does  not  seem  to 
be  near.     To  believe  that  an  entire  nation  is  to  be  converted 
at  once,  and  to  expect  to  make  Christians  by  the  hundreds  and 
thousands  in  this  country,  is  to  deceive  one's  self.     Ca->ada  is 
not  a  land  of  flowers ;  to  find  one,  you  must  walk  far  among 
brambles   and    thorns.     Persons   of   exalted    virtue   find   here 
enough  to  call  out   their   zeal.     The  less  enthusiastic,  like  my- 
self, are  happy  in  finding  themselves  compelled  to  suffer  much, 
to  be  without  consolation  save  in   God  alone,  and  to  labor  in- 
.  essantly  for  personal  sanctification.     I  sincerely  beg  your  Rev- 
erence, to  retain  me  in  this  blessed  service  all  my  life,  and  to  be 
assured  that  this  is  the  greatest  favor  that  can  be  conferred  up- 
on me.     I  will  add  a  word  (says  the  Father)  to  give  you  some 
account  of  our  petty  wars. 

The  day  of  Ascension,  twenty  Senecas  and  forty  of  our  young 
braves,  went  from  this  bourg  to  make  an  attack  upon  the  An- 
dastes,  whose  country  is  four  day's  journey  from  here.  The 
Senecas,  who  formed  a  band  by  themselves,  the  others  having 
previously  gone  by  water,  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  sixty 
young  Andastes,  from  fifteen  to  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  put  to 
flight  with  a  lois  of  two  of  their  men — one  killed  on  the  spot  and 
the  other  carried  away  prisoner.  The,  youthful  victors,  learn- 
ing that  the  band  of  the  Cayugas  had  gone  by  water,  immedi- 
ately took  to  their  canoes  in  hot  pursuit,  and  overtaking  them 
beat  them  in  the  fight.  Eight  of  the  Cayugas  were  slain  in  their 
canoes,  and  fifteen  or  sixteen  wounded  by  arrows  and  knives, 


11 


c  retained  the 
II  that  1  taught 
;edhini.  This 
,-vcn  singing  of 

horn  God   has 
ler  de  Carheil. 
ve  (lod  at  last, 
;  time  for  the 
es  not  seem  to 
)  be  converted 
;  hundreds  and 
elf.     Ca-^ada  is 
alk   far  among 
rtue   find   here 
uastic,  like  my- 
to  suffer  much, 
nd  to  labor  in- 
y  beg  your  Rev- 
ly  life,  and  to  be 
)e  conferred  up- 
give  you  some 

rtyof  our  young 
k  upon  the  An- 
•om  here.  The 
e  others  having 
I  party  of  sixty 
f  age,  and  put  to 
i  on  the  spot  and 
il  victors,  learn- 
water,  immedi- 
Dvertaking  them 
ere  slain  in  their 
rows  and  knives, 


or  half  killed  by  strokes  of  the  hatchet.  The  field  of  battle  was 
left  with  the  Andastes,  with  a  loss,  it  is  said,  of  fifteen  or  six- 
teen of  their  number.  May  God  preserve  the  Andastes  who 
have  barely  three  hundred  men  of  war!  May  He  favor  their 
arms  to  humble  the  Iroquois,  and  preserve  to  us  the  peace  of 
our  missions ! 

After  this  letter  was  written,  Father  de  Carheil  returned  with 
restored  health  to  the  mission.  The  record  is  that  "finding  hu- 
man skill  unavailing,  he  made  a  pilgrimage  to  the  shrine  of  St. 
Anne,  and  obtained  deliverance  from  the  nervous  disorder 
which  afflicted  him."  With  the  year  of  his  return  to  Cayuga, 
1672,  the  Relations  covering  a  period  of  nearly  forty  consecu- 
tive years,  are  concluded;  and  whatever  has  been  gleaned  of  the 
subsequc'  .  history  of  this  and  the  other  Jesuit  missions  among 
the  Iroquois,  is  mainly  from  the  manuscript  relations  at  Quebec 
or  at  Rome.  We  learn  from  Shea,  the  historian  of  Americari 
Cathlic  Missions,  who  has  carefully  studied  this  unpublished  col- 
lection, that  on  his  return  toCayuga,  de  Carheil  found  prejudice 
still  deeply  rooted  in  the  popular  mind,  and  calumnies  of  every 
kind  wide  spread  against  the  faith.  Some  consoling  conver- 
sions however,  occurred ;  and  among  others  that  of  a  young 
chief  gladdened  his  heart.  His  only  stay  was  the  Chieftan 
Saonchiogwan  who  seconded  all  his  efforts. 

The  mission  continued  in  this  way  for  .several  years,  unmark- 
ed by  any  striking  event,  the  obstinate  and  haughty  spirit  of 
the  people  remaining  the  same  as  ever,  till  about  1684,' when 
the  faithful  missionary  was  plundered  of  everything  by  a  chief 
named  Horchouasse,  and  driven  from  the  country  by  Oreouate 
and  Sarennoa,  the  two  head  chief,  at  the  time,  of  the  canton. 
This  was  due  in  good  part  to  English  intrigue. 

In  1683,  Col.  Thomas  Dongan,  governor  of  New  York,  had 
so  far  succeeded  in  destroying  the  influence  of  the  French  with 
the  Iroquois,  that,  though  himself  a  Catholic,  he  directed  all 
his  effort  to  expel  the  Canadian  missionaries  ;  and  to  inspire  the 
Indians  with  greater  confidence,  he   promised    to  send  them 


42 

English  Jesuits  and  build  them  churches  in  their  cantons;  and 
as  the  result  the  Oneida  and  Seneca  missions  were  abandoned 
a  year  before  the  expulsion  of  de  Carheil  from  Cayuga. 

In  1701,  when  a  separate  peace  was  concluded  between  the 
Five  Nations  and  Canada,  several  of  the  old  Iroquois  mission- 
aries started  from  Quebec  to  raise  their  fallen  altars  on  the 
former  ground  of  their  labors  and  sacrifices.  But  in  the  con- 
tinued struggle  of  the  English  with  the  French  for  the  dominant 
influence,  little  was  accomplished,  when  by  the  treaty  of  Utrecht, 
Louis  XIV  acknowledged  the  right  of  England  to  the  whole 
territory  occupied  by  the  Five  Nations,  and  thus  completely 
closed  the  cantons  against  the  missionaries  of  France. 


cantons;  and 
re  abandoned 

yuga. 

i  between  the 
quois  mission- 
altars  on  the 
ut  in  the  con- 
r  the  dominant 
aty  of  Utrecht, 
to  the  whole 
lus  completely 
ance. 


f       i 


I 


